LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Deputy Prime Minister

Peter Luff: To ask the Leader of the House if he will make provision for the Deputy Prime Minister to answer oral questions.

Jack Straw: Yes. I have today updated the first oral question rota to reflect ministerial responsibilities of the Deputy Prime Minister, a copy of which is available in the Table Office.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

British Poultry (Japanese Ban)

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations his Department has made to the Japanese Government following their ban on British poultry products.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 8 May 2006
	Defra officials continue to liaise with British embassy colleagues in Tokyo, who in turn are in contact with the Japanese authorities about the trade restrictions that were imposed following the recent outbreak of H7N3 in Norfolk.
	The Japanese authorities have asked for further information about the nature of the disease, and for details of the remedial action taken. We are doing all we can to have these restrictions lifted as quickly as possible.

Pollution

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Morley and Rothwell (Mr. Colin Challen) of 28 March 2006,  Official Report, column 843W, on pollution, what the levels for (a) international aviation and (b) international shipping were in (i) 1990 and (ii) 2004.

Ian Pearson: Emissions from international aviation and shipping can be estimated from refuelling from bunkers at UK airports and ports (whether by UK or non-UK operators).
	Between 1990 and 2004, emissions from aviation fuel use more than doubled whilst emissions from UK shipping bunker fuel use fell by about an eighth, although UK operators purchase most of their fuel outside the UK.
	
		
			  Mt 
			   International aviation  International shipping 
			 1990 4.3 1.8 
			 2004 9.0 1.6 
			  Source: Greenhouse gas inventory for aviation and shipping bunkers

Single Farm Payments

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints have been received that payments made under the Single Payment scheme to farmers in the East Midlands have been incorrect.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 27 April 2006
	The Rural Payments Agency does not have data available on a regional or subject basis, as complaints are not administered in this way.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Arms Supply (Developing Countries)

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on Government policy on supplying arms to developing countries.

Hilary Benn: The Government believe that all countries are entitled to provide for their own legitimate defence and security needs, including developing countries. All export licence applications are assessed against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria, including whether the export would seriously hamper sustainable development in the recipient country.
	We do however, need better international regulation of the arms trade. That is why the Government are calling for an arms trade treaty covering all conventional weapons.

Nepal

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of British aid to Nepal.

Gareth Thomas: All DFID projects and programmes in Nepal are subject to regular reviews of their effectiveness not least because of the political instability.
	I believe our British aid continues to be effective, given the complexities of working in conditions of conflict and political instability.
	A further review is now underway to identify the further opportunities for development given the ceasefires and the restoration of Parliament.

Doha

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent progress has been made in respect of developing countries in the Doha round of trade negotiations.

Gareth Thomas: The WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong in December made just enough progress to keep the current negotiations on track. The most recent end of April deadline to make further substantial progress has been missed. Pascal Lamy has called for a greater sense of urgency in the talks from all delegations. These talks will now move to a more intensive phase in Geneva.

St. Helena

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will visit St. Helena to discuss improvements to its economy.

Gareth Thomas: I have no current plans to visitSt. Helena. Whenever possible I meet with island councillors and officials visiting the UK and we discuss a wide range of issues. The development of St. Helena's economy remains a priority and was a key factor in last year's decision to build an airport in St. Helena. We are now working closely with the St. Helena Government to develop appropriate policies to facilitate sound and sustainable economic development.

Darfur

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government are taking to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Darfur; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The UK has played a leading role in the international community's response to Darfur, including support to the Abuja peace talks. Since 2003, we have contributed £113 million to humanitarian relief and a further £52 million in support of the African Union mission in Darfur. We continue to press our international donor partners to contribute more. We are also actively lobbying the Government of Sudan to allow full and unrestricted access for humanitarian agencies to the displaced and vulnerable people across Darfur.

Nigeria

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on UK aid to Nigeria.

Hilary Benn: The UK committed £70 million of development assistance to Nigeria in 2005-06. Thiswill rise to £80 million in 2006-07. DFID's assistanceto Nigeria is focussed on supporting the Nigerian Government's own economic growth and poverty reduction strategy; improving governance and the accountability of Government to the Nigerian people; and on contributing directly to improved human development, in the areas of health, education and HIV and AIDS. DFID works closely with the Nigerian Government at federal level and in selected states to achieve these aims and also works in close partnership with other donors in Nigeria, particularly the World Bank.

HIV/AIDS

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of Statefor International Development what projects his Department is undertaking to tackle HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean and Belize; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Our spending on HIV/AIDS programmes in the Caribbean will be approximately£3 million over the next three years.
	There are three key elements to our HIV/AIDS programme:
	tackling stigma and discrimination which experts agree is the key driving force behind the regional epidemic;
	getting the private sector more engaged with the issues;
	ensuring that resources available to the region for HIV/AIDS are effectively used.

Environmental Sustainability

Celia Barlow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the integration of policies on climate change and environmental sustainability into his Department's work.

Gareth Thomas: A new Policy Paper "DFID's Approach to the Environment", published in February 2006, describes how we integrate the environment into our work with developing countries and other donors. The main focus is on how environment contributes to poverty reduction in developing countries.

Afghanistan

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the security situation in Afghanistan on the alternative livelihoods programme.

Hilary Benn: The successful delivery of alternative livelihood programmes is highly dependent on the ability of organisations doing the delivery on the ground being able to operate safely. Security in many parts of Afghanistan is improving, particularly in central, northern and western areas and further progress can be made by strengthening the effectiveness of the Afghan police and criminal justice system. However security remains a particular challenge in the south and east of the country, where the insurgency is most active.
	Continuing threats to the safety of Afghan and international staff have meant that some non-governmental organisations and international contractors are finding it increasingly difficult to operate in some parts of the country. The majority of DFID's livelihoods programme is channelled through the national priority programmes of the Afghan Government. This helps to reduce some of the security risks by using local contractors, but there have been a number of attacks on implementing partners of these national programmes. Although attacks have increased, so far they have not caused widespread suspension of alternative livelihoods programmes.
	Helmand province will be a particularly challenging place in which to deliver programmes that will support the development of alternative livelihoods. DFID is currently designing a large multi-year programme to support rural development in Helmand through the national priority programmes of the Afghan Government. This support will only be successful if implementing partners are willing to work in the province. The UK military deployment to Helmand should help to facilitate a greater Afghan Government presence in the province, and improve the capacity of the police and the Afghan National Army to provide the necessary security for development partners to operate effectively.

Burma

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding he is making available to assist the humanitarian effort for internally displaced people in  (a) Burma and  (b) the Karen State; and what funds he has given to non-governmental organisations to monitor these aid efforts.

Gareth Thomas: Within DFID's programme in Burma, £500,000 has provisionally been allocated in this financial year to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), of which approximately 80 per cent. is attributable to work with conflict-affected populations. In addition, several other projects funded by DFID which provide assistance through local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) (for example, to reduce the incidence of communicable diseases, or to enhance food security) include internally displaced people among their recipients.
	All of the funding allocated to NGOs implementing projects on behalf of DFID includes an element for monitoring and evaluation. Various projects (including those of the ICRC and those working to reduce the incidence of communicable diseases or to enhance food security) include Karen State within their coverage, but as their funding is not disaggregated by state, it is not possible to provide specific figures for Karen State.

Education Millennium Goal

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contribution the UK has made to meeting the millennium development goal on education; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Progress towards the goals of achieving universal primary education and eliminating gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2015 has been made globally over the past decade, but the pace is too slow.
	The Government will spend some £8.5 billion in support of education over the next 10 years. This compares to a figure of under £2 billion over the past 10 years. This long-term commitment will provide Governments with predictable funding against which they can prepare ambitious 10 year investment plans to achieve the education goals. DFID will continue to implement its girls education strategy, launched in 2005.

Palestinian Authority

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assurances he is seeking from the Palestinian Authority which would allow the full aid programme to be restored.

Hilary Benn: On 30 March, the Quartet (comprising the United States, European Union, the United Nations and Russia) noted that the new Palestinian Government had not yet complied with the principles of non-violence, recognition of Israel's right to exist and commitment to peace agreements. Without progress against these principles, the UK Government cannot provide support to the Palestinian Cabinet or its Ministries.
	Should the Palestinian Government comply with the Quartet's conditions, DFID would resume its support to the Palestinian Authority. Assistance to Palestinian refugees through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) will continue, and the Quartet agreed yesterday that a funding mechanism should be developed to support Palestinian basic needs. DFID is working closely with international partners to take this forward.

PRIME MINISTER

Kyoto Targets

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 8 March 2006,  Official Report, column 815W, what the evidential basis was for his statement that the Government will meet their Kyoto targets.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made on 28 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 57-58WS by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mrs. Beckett) on "Climate Change. The UK Programme 2006".

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Corporate Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on how many occasions he has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: Paragraph 5.28 of the Ministerial Code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality. All ministerial hospitality is conducted in accordance with this.

Departmental Staff

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) women and  (b) men are employed in the Department; what the average pay was for (i) women and (ii) men in the Department in (A) 1997 and (B) 2006; what women's average pay is as a percentage of men's average pay; and how many (1) women and (2) men the Department employed in each of the last five years, broken down by grade.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Cabinet Office collects and publishes annually statistical information on the Civil Service by Department. The number of  (a) women and  (b) men employed in my Department is available in the Library and on the Civil Service website at:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/employment/index.asp.
	My Department was formed in 2001. The median pay for (i) women and (ii) men in my Department in (A) 2001 and (B) 2006 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   £ 
			   Women  Men 
			 2001 18,210 21,720 
			 2006 25,110 27,720 
			  Note: The median pay in this table is gross salary rounded to the nearest 10 and includes London and national salaries. For part time staff, the full time equivalent salary has been used. 
		
	
	Women's median pay is 90.6 per cent. of men's median pay.
	The number of (1) women and (2) men employed by my Department in each of the last five years, broken down by grade level, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  Grade level  Women  Men  Women  Men  Women  Men  Women  Men  Women  Men 
			 SCS 37 72 46 71 50 83 54 78 48 77 
			 G7/6 240 298 258 308 291 317 304 313 317 338 
			 SEO 237 251 301 272 337 297 334 288 329 261 
			 HEO 549 476 644 472 681 469 572 409 528 410 
			 EO 662 371 714 378 739 373 645 325 538 303 
			 AO 607 272 599 293 644 314 515 238 397 189 
			 AA 146 109 142 106 109 100 70 79 48 65 
			 Total 2,478 1,849 2,704 1,900 2,851 1,953 2,494 1,730 2,205 1,643 
			  Note:  Figures are based on a headcount of all staff.

Departmental Websites

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list  (a) the websites operated by his Department and  (b) the reports placed on the internet in March 2006, indicating in each case whether paper copies were also made available.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department runs the following main URL domains:
	dfes.gov.uk
	milleniumvolunteers.gov.uk
	everychildmatters.gov.uk
	childcarecareers.gov.uk
	childrights.gov.uk
	connexions.gov.uk
	connexionsonline.gov.uk
	connexions-direct.com
	need2know.co.uk
	surestart.gov.uk
	parentscentre.gov.uk
	sendist.gov.uk
	teachernet.gov.uk
	governornet.co.uk
	writehere.org.uk
	fasttrackteaching.gov.uk
	schoolsadjudicator.gov.uk
	foundationdegree.org.uk
	admissions-review.org.uk
	hestrategy.org.uk
	successforall.gov.uk
	kingsmillreview.gov.uk
	bsf.gov.uk
	musicmanifesto.gov.uk
	schoolsfoodtrust.co.uk
	Note that these include a number of cross-Whitehall websites which the Department runs on behalf of Department collaborations. Also note that this list excludes web addresses that are run by Non-departmental Public bodies, Department agencies or which are redirected to those listed above.
	The Department does not keep a list of the reports placed online by month. This is because the technical infrastructure to enable the Department to do so is not yet in place. However, the capability of determining a list of reports placed on the website by month for all Department websites will be delivered over 2007/08.
	The majority of reports are available in print form, and placed on the website in a PDF format.

Disabled People

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress his Department has made in fulfilling its statutory role as a public body to promote the rights of disabled people.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department is fully committed to equality and diversity. The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 places new duties on public authorities to promote equality for disabled people, 'the Disability Equality Duty.'
	Through the Act, we, like many public bodies, have an obligation to publish a Disability Equality Scheme every three years. Our Equality and Diversity Unit has begun work on the Department's first scheme, to be published later this year. Policy officials will be undertaking a full departmental-wide examination of our policies and functions in relation to disability and other equality issues. Action plans will be produced to address all issues and these will be monitored and reviewed through the annual business planning process. The scheme will be published on the Department's website. This information will contribute towards preparations for the Secretary of State's report on progress, due in December 2008. My Department has also provided support on implementing the new duties to a number of other public authorities including schools and other public bodies. Further information on this and other support is shown as follows.
	 Annex 1
	 Examples of DfES support for other authorities include:
	 Schools and early years:
	The Department for Education and Skills is holding a series of events in May and June to launch the new resource "Implementing the Disability Discrimination Act in schools and early years settings" to help schools and local authorities implement the reasonable adjustments duty and planning duty they have under Part 4 of the Disability Discrimination Act by providing:
	An explanation of the DDA duties and their relationship to the statutory SEN framework;
	a DVD resource filmed in over 40 schools illustrating how schools have made reasonable adjustments to prevent discrimination against disabled pupils and increase their access to education; plus supporting written materials;
	templates for schools and local authorities to use in reviewing and revising their statutory accessibility plans;
	guidance for local authorities on increasing access to early years settings for very young disabled children.
	The resource will help schools and local authorities to make adjustments for their disabled pupils both in the short and longer term by improving access to all aspects of school life. The guidance identifies how schools and local authorities' access planning arrangements will help compliance with the Disability Equality Duty.
	The Disability Rights Commission will give a presentation at the events providing an overview of the duties schools and local authorities will have under the Disability Equality Duty. They will also make participants aware of the sixth section that will be added to the resource in the autumn as part of the non statutory guidance being developed for schools by the Disability Rights Commission on the new Disability Equality Duty.
	 DfES's work with DRC/LSC/FE/HE in preparing for implementation of the new disability duty:
	DfES has been participating in a series of round-table workshops over the past year with the Disability Rights Commission (DRC), Learning and Skills Council, Higher Education Funding Council for England and external partners in the Further and Higher Education sectors, to prepare for the forthcoming public sector duty to promote disability equality. DRC plans to publish guidance for the FHE sector in May.
	 LSC's existing statutory duty to promote disability equality:
	Section 14 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000, requires the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), in carrying out all of its functions, to have due regard to the promotion of equality of opportunity in terms of disability, race and gender. In addition, section 13 requires the LSC to pay particular regard to the needs of young people and adults with learning difficulties and disabilities, when performing its duties to secure facilities and provide resources for education and training.
	DfES are working with the LSC to run an equalities impact assessment across the skills strategy programme. This will include disability. We aim to complete this by the end of October 2006.

Educational Psychology

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he will publish the report of the fundamental review of the function of educational psychologists announced in February 2005.

Parmjit Dhanda: The research contract for the review of the functions and contribution of educational psychologists in England and Wales was awarded to a research team from the School of Education, University of Manchester.
	The research team expect to deliver their report to the Department later this month. A date for publication will be determined once we have had the opportunity to consider the report.

Educational Psychology

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many educational psychologist posts are unfilled; and what estimate he has made of the likely ratio of trained educational psychologists to posts over the next five years;
	(2)  many educational psychologists have been trained in England in each of the past 10 years; and what the cost of their training was in each year;
	(3)  what recent discussions he has had with the British Psychological Society on the funding of the training of educational and clinical psychologists;
	(4)  what the cost to his Department of the training of an educational psychologist  (a) was in 2005 and  (b) is expected to be in each of the next three years;
	(5)  what steps he has taken to ensure that local authorities provide sufficient resources for the training of educational psychologists.

Parmjit Dhanda: The full-time equivalent number of educational psychologists in post in local authorities in England as at January 2005 is 2,156, compared to 1,768 in January 1997. There were 100 vacant full-time permanent posts as at January 2005.
	Educational psychologists are employed by local authorities and it is for those authorities to determine how many to employ in light of their assessment of local needs and available resources, and to plan for future needs. The Department makes no manpower planning estimates for this group of local employees, nor do we collect centrally information on the number of EPs trained or the cost of EP training, funding for which is not provided by DfES.
	There have been no recent discussions between the Department and the British Psychological Society on funding of EP training. Questions relating to clinical psychologists are for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Heath.

Missing Children

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken in relation to the recommendations of the social exclusion unit's report on runaway children;
	(2)  if he will publish his Department's strategy for safeguarding runaway and missing children;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to safeguard the health of runaway and missing children.

Parmjit Dhanda: The key recommendations in the social exclusion unit's (SEU) report on 'Young Runaways' were that young people at risk of running away should know who they could talk to about their problems, that local services needed to work closer together to make sure young people got help, and that a safety net of community-based emergency accommodation was needed for those who did run away.
	The findings of the SEU report, which was published in 2002, influenced the wider Government strategy on children's services, which was set out in the Green Paper 'Every Child Matters' (2003). It is through the 'Every Child Matters: Change for Children' programme currently being taken forward by local authorities, and including the reforms set out in the Green Paper 'Youth Matters', that the Government are promoting measures that respond to the SEU report.
	'Change for Children' aims to help local services respond to the full range of children's needs—including their health, their safety and their economic well-being. It is particularly concerned with improving targeted support for those children most at risk of negative outcomes, such as those associated with running away or going missing from home. The programme, drawing on the Children Act 2004 reforms, is enabling local areas to improve integrated working arrangements by establishing multi-disciplinary teams, while adopting a lead professional model—someone who is a single point of contact for a young person who can co-ordinate a package of support when multiple needs are present requiring help from various sources. Improved integrated working at a local level is being accompanied by enhanced information sharing between services, leading to earlier identification of children's needs. This in turn allows young people to be referred to the right source of support, at the right time. New joint inspection arrangements will judge the effectiveness and co-ordination of such local provision.
	We have also run six projects to test out how best to provide safe, flexible and responsive community-based services that can be easily incorporated into mainstream children's services. We will disseminate the lessons learnt from these to local authorities later this year.

Skills For Life

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many employees in his Department have attended Skills for Life courses; and how many have been assessed as requiring such courses.

Parmjit Dhanda: Over the last 12 months, 14 members of staff in the Department have been assessed as requiring a Skills for Life course and all have attended one through the Department's learning and development unit. In addition, there will be individuals who have undertaken basic skills development through other routes, or who took part in departmental activities organised locally that incorporate elements of basic skills for which records are not held centrally.

Young Carers

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of young carers undertaking supervised study in excess of 21 hours each week.

Parmjit Dhanda: This information is not collected centrally.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Account Filing

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies were fined by Companies House in the last 10 years for late filing of accounts.

Margaret Hodge: The number of penalties issued to companies by Companies House in the last 10 years is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005-06 201,889 
			 2004-05 190,946 
			 2003-04 174,013 
			 2002-03 157,426 
			 2001-02 153,624 
			 2000-01 142,235 
			 1999-2000 124,745 
			 1998-99 107,635 
			 1997-98 97,234 
			 1996-97 85,006 
			 Total 1,434,753

Account Filing

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much revenue Companies House received in the last 10 years through fines for late filing of company accounts; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Companies House does not receive any revenue through fines for late filing of company accounts as it is all paid into the consolidated fund to the Treasury.
	However, over the last 10 years the value of penalties issued by Companies House was as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2005-06 42.82 
			 2004-05 40. 86 
			 2003-04 37.24 
			 2002-03 34.44 
			 2001-02 32.63 
			 2000-01 30.57 
			 1999-2000 26.85 
			 1998-99 22.71 
			 1997-98 21.94 
			 1996-97 19.36 
			 Total 309.42 
		
	
	As a result of appeals, company dissolutions, etc. not all the penalties issued by Companies House are paid. Over the last 10 years they have therefore remitted to the Treasury the following amounts:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2005-06 30.3 
			 2004-05 32.0 
			 2003-04 27.8 
			 2002-03 25.1 
			 2001-02 23.7 
			 2000-01 25.2 
			 1999-2000 21.8 
			 1998-99 19.2 
			 1997-98 18.0 
			 1996-97 15.1 
			 Total 238.2

British Nuclear Group

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received on plans to privatise the British Nuclear Group.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has had a number of parliamentary questions and some Members have forwarded letters from constituents asking for an explanation of the rationale behind the sale. The unions have also expressed their views and officials have discussed the sale with these and other stakeholders. A number of potential bidders have approached the Department to express interest in the business and some have sought clarification of how the sale will be operated.

British Summer Time

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many representations he has received on adopting British summer time throughout the year in the last 12 months; and how many  (a) supported and  (b) opposed such a change.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In the past 12 months, the Department has received 77 representations on the question of adopting British summer time throughout the year.
	These representations reflect the strong divergence of opinion on this issue, which suggests that the present situation is a satisfactory compromise between those who prefer lighter mornings and those who prefer lighter evenings.

Company Law Reform Bill

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list organisations from which his Department has received representations on the Company Law Reform Bill since November 2005; and whether each representation was made  (a) in a meeting,  (b) in writing and  (c) through another method in each case.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 3 May 2006
	There has been extensive discussion and consultation on issues on the Company Law Reform Bill over some seven years during the work of the Company Law Review, the publication of the White Paper and the subsequent consultation on particular clauses in the Bill. A formal consultation, which concerned narrative reporting, closed on 24 March 2006. In a written reply to parliamentary question No. 67492 the Government's decisions in the light of the consultation were set out. A list of the organisations who made representations is available on the DTI website (www.dti.gov.uk).
	We have continued to liaise closely on the detail of the Bill with professional and other expert groups. Ministers and officials have received numerous representations in writing and engaged in meetings on various aspects of the Bill, from a wide range of interested parties. It would be disproportionately costly to list these representations in detail.

Electricity Generation

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding has been given by  (a) his Department and  (b) the Engineering Physical Sciences Research Council to the development of (i) molten salt reactors, (ii) very-high-temperature reactors, (iii) supercritical-water-cooled reactors, (iv) gas-cooled fast reactors and (v) sodium-cooled fast reactors to generate electricity in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 8 May 2006
	The Department has provided no funding to these technologies since 1997.
	 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council:
	The EPSRC invests in basic, strategic and applied research in energy generation, transmission and utilisation. The Council's total expenditure on nuclear fission research in financial years 1997-98 to 2005-06 is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial Year  Expenditure (£) 
			 1997-98 42,111 
			 1998-99 81,228 
			 1999-2000 61,793 
			 2000-01 127,562 
			 2001-02 324,879 
			 2002-03 307,195 
			 2003-04 212,239 
			 2004-05 111,947 
			 2005-06 951,643 
		
	
	The recently announced £6.1 million "Keeping the Nuclear Option Open" research consortium, led by Imperial College London, will be undertaking research to both underpin and specifically address the Generation IV research agenda. In part as a result of this recent major investment, EPSRC's expenditure on nuclear power research in 2006-07 is projected to rise to in excess of £1.7 million.
	EPSRC is unable to identify from its records specific investment in a number of the various Generation IV technologies. EPSRC has recently funded a research project at the University of Manchester on high-temperature gas-cooled reactors—expenditure on this grant, which is included in the total figures stated above, was £13,505 in 2005-06 and is projected to be £14,849 in 2006-07.

Electricity Generation

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding has been given by  (a) his Department and  (b) the Physical Sciences Research Council to the development of (i) liquid metal fast breeder reactors and (ii) lead-cooled fast reactors to generate electricity in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has provided no funding to these technologies since 1997.
	 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council:
	The EPSRC invests in basic, strategic and applied research in energy generation, transmission and utilisation. The Council's total expenditure on nuclear fission research in financial years 1997-98 to 2005-06 is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial Year  Expenditure (£) 
			 1997-98 42,111 
			 1998-99 81,228 
			 1999-2000 61,793 
			 2000-01 127,562 
			 2001-02 324,879 
			 2002-03 307,195 
			 2003-04 212,239 
			 2004-05 111,947 
			 2005-06 951,643 
		
	
	The recently announced £6.1 million "Keeping the Nuclear Option Open" research consortium, led by Imperial College London, will be undertaking research to both underpin and specifically address the Generation IV research agenda. In part as a result of this recent major investment, EPSRC's expenditure on nuclear power research in 2006-07 is projected to rise to in excess of £1.7 million.
	EPSRC is unable to identify from its records specific investment in a number of the various Generation IV technologies. EPSRC has recently funded a research project at the University of Manchester on high- temperature gas-cooled reactors—expenditure on this grant, which is included in the total figures stated above, was £13,505 in 2005-06 and is projected to be £14,849 in 2006-07.

Energy Provision

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average energy cost was of power generation from  (a) nuclear,  (b) oil,  (c) gas,  (d) coal and  (e) renewables in each of the past 30 years at today's prices (i) excluding and (ii) including public subsidy.

Malcolm Wicks: Figures for energy costs of generation since privatisation of the electricity industry are commercially confidential. Pre-privatisation figures may be available in the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) Yearbooks but can be collated only at disproportionate cost.

EU Extremely Large Telescope

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the impact of  (a) light pollution and  (b) aircraft vapour trails on the location of the EU Extremely Large Telescope.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The European Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) project is still at the design stage and several possible locations are being surveyed. Many factors are being taken into consideration before a final decision is made as to where such a telescope should be located; including the extent of light pollution and the proximity to high-volume flight paths.

EU Extremely Large Telescope

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which organisations are involved in the European Extremely Large Telescope project; and in which country each is based.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A total of 27 organisations are currently involved in the EU Framework Programme 6 Design Study phase of the European Extremely Large Telescope, led by the European Southern Observatory.
	In the UK, the work is led by the UK Astronomy Technology Centre (Edinburgh), with support from the Universities of Durham, Oxford and UCL.
	Other partners in the Design Study are:
	AMOS (Advanced Mechanical and Optical Systems)—Belgium
	ASTRON—Netherlands
	The Australian National University—Australia
	CIMNE (Centre Internacional de Metodes Numerics en Enginyeria)—Spain
	CNRS—France
	Fogale—France
	Galway University—Ireland
	Grantecan—Spain
	Institute de Astrofisica de Canarias—Spain
	Institute Nazionale di Astrofisica—Italy
	ITER—Institute Tecnologico y de Energias Renovables—Spain
	JUPASA Transformados Metalicos—Spain
	Leiden Observatory—Netherlands
	Lund University—Sweden
	Max-Planck Institut fur Astronomie—Germany
	Media C. I.—Spain
	SAGEM (REOSC)—France
	SESO—France
	Technion—Institute of Technology—Israel
	University of New South Wales—Australia
	Universite de Nice—France
	Universita di Padova—Italy
	Universidad Politecnica Catalunia—Spain

EU Manufacturing

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the levels of competition in manufacturing across the European Union; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The Government make periodic assessments of the level of competition facing particular manufacturing sectors across the European Union. These assessments include the degree of price competition among firms trading from within the EU and the effects of competition from imports from outside the EU. The Government are fully aware of the strong competition UK manufacturers face from European Union partners, both from Western European economies and lower cost Eastern European countries. We are taking action through the Manufacturing Strategy to promote the development of a successful UK manufacturing base with value added operations in order to help companies to respond to these challenges.

EU Manufacturing

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to support the manufacturing industry and promote UK exports.

Margaret Hodge: The Government support our manufacturing industry as we set out in our Manufacturing Strategy. Our aim is to help manufacturers in the UK move to high value added production through the application of science and innovation, best practice, encouragement of high value investment and by developing a highly skilled labour force. We set up the Manufacturing Advisory Service in 2002, and we estimate that it has generated £213 million of added value throughout the UK. The Manufacturing Forum monitors and drives the delivery of the Manufacturing Strategy throughout the UK.
	Support for UK exporters is delivered through UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), the Government organisation that supports UK companies trading internationally and overseas companies seeking to locate in the UK. In 2005, nearly 2,000 companies signed up for UKTI's flagship "Passport to Export" development programme helping them prepare to trade internationally, and nearly 6,000 companies were helped to move into overseas markets new to them. Independent research shows that £65 million spent on four UKTI key trade development schemes generated £1.1 billion additional net benefit by enabling over 6,000 businesses, including manufacturers, to upgrade their international marketing strategies.

Fuel Cell Technology

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what help his Department makes available to companies researching hydrogen fuel cell technology for motor vehicle use through a greater understanding of nuclear energy.

Malcolm Wicks: The DTI commissioned two reports in 2004 in relation to hydrogen: "Hydrogen Energy Support in the UK" and "A Strategic Framework for Hydrogen Energy Activity in the UK". These reports have been published on the Department's website. The second report identified six potential hydrogen energy chains for the use of hydrogen as a transport fuel. One route is to produce hydrogen from nuclear generation.
	On 15 June 2005, I announced the Government's response to the second report "A Strategic Framework for Hydrogen Energy Activity in the UK" which included a funding package of £15 million over four years for a UK wide hydrogen and fuel cell demonstration programme. The details of the demonstration scheme are currently being developed, and requires EC state aid approval.

Home Working

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry under what legislation employees are granted a right to work from home; if he has any plans to introduce further legislation; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In spring 2005 there were around3.1 million people in the UK who worked mainly in their own home, or in different places using home as a base. There is no legislation which gives employees a right to work from home, however the Government encourage employers and employees to agree suitable working patterns.
	In April 2003 we introduced the right to request flexible working, which includes working from home, for parents of children under six and disabled children under 18. The Work and Families Bill, currently before Parliament, extends this right to carers of adults.
	The employment provisions (part 2) of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 require employers to consider reasonable adjustments to job application or selection processes, and to premises, practices or procedures, if these would otherwise put a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage. This might include allowing a disabled person to work from home if such an adjustment was reasonable in all the circumstances of the case.
	There are no plans for further legislation relating to working from home.

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 26 April 2006,  Official Report, column 1125W, on noise-induced hearing loss (mining), what assessment he has made of the variations in fixed costs between these agreements; what the reasons were for the decision to refuse costs for certain solicitors since 2005; and which of the fixed agreements have been in place since 2001.

Malcolm Wicks: The variations between agreements have arisen as a result of those agreements having been individually and commercially negotiated. Costs are disputed whenever they appear unreasonably high and the reasons for each dispute will vary. The agreements are commercially confidential so I cannot provide details.
	Agreements with the following solicitors have been in place unchanged since 2001:
	Ben Hoare Bell, Brian Mcardle, Browells, Campbell Smith, Comes, Drurmmond Miller, Gorman Hamilton, Gorvin Smith Fort, Graysons, Hickmotts, Ingrams, Kidd & Spoor Harper, Lathams, Lopian Wagner, Marrons, Mcardles, McConville O'Neill, Meloy Whittle Robinson, Morisons, Mortons, O H Parsons, Oxley & Coward, Pannone & Partners, Raleys, Randell Saunders, Saffmans, Simpson Miller, Thompsons, Watson Burton.

Natural Environment Research Council

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what the Natural Environment Research Council science budget allocation was for each centre in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what the change in budget will be for the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology after the Natural Environment Research Council proposed restructuring plans.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Science Budget allocation to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has doubled since 1997, demonstrating our commitment to maintaining the quality of environmental research in the UK. Following consultation with stakeholders, NERC has announced that it will implement plans to ensure that the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) can contribute to UK environmental science on a sustainable basis in the future.
	CEH is wholly-owned by NERC, which determines its budget each year. I shall ask the Chief Executive of NERC to write to the hon. Member concerning his requests.

Post Office

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has commissioned a study on the competitiveness of the Post Office in handling  (a) television licence purchases and  (b) other payment transactions.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No. The decision not to renew the television licence contract with Post Office Limited was a commercial one made by the BBC, following a competitive tender exercise. Similarly, decisions relating to Government contracts for handling other payment transactions will be made by respective Government departments or agencies after carrying out competitive tendering exercises to establish best value for money.

Post Office

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what value of business thePost Office Card Account provided to post offices in  (a) Leeds,  (b) Yorkshire and  (c) the UK in 2005-06.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 9 May 2006
	Revenue received by Post Office Ltd for managing Post Office Card Account are the subject of commercially confidential contracts with DWP.

Post Office

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Department has to compensate those post offices which will be adversely affected by the proposed closure of the Post Office Card Account.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 8 May 2006
	The future of the post office network and future revenue will depend on many factors including what accounts, other than the Post Office Card Accounts, will be made available after 2010. Post Office Ltd and the Department for Work and Pensions are currently discussing the various options.

Power Supplies

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State forTrade and Industry how many interruptions to power supply from  (a) nuclear,  (b) oil,  (c) gas,  (d) coal and  (e) renewables generation there have been in each of the past 30 years.

Malcolm Wicks: There have been no power supply interruptions due to a shortfall in generation leading to an imbalance between supply and demand over the last 30 years.

Regional Development Agencies

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State forTrade and Industry what the  (a) total budget and (b) administrative costs were of each of the regional development agencies in 2005-06; and what the estimated costs are for 2006-07.

Margaret Hodge: The 2005-06 figures for the total budget and administration costs for the nine regional development agencies are set out in the first table and the indicative budget and estimated administration costs for 2006-07 are set out in the second table.
	
		
			  2005-06 
			  RDA Figures  Budget (£m)  Administration (£000) 
			 Advantage West Midlands 272 20,000 
			 East England Development Agency 129 11,200 
			 East Midlands Development Agency 156 15,000 
			 London Development Agency 373 29,500 
			 North West Development Agency 382 38,792 
			 One North East 240 22,500 
			 South East England Development Agency 157 18,000 
			 South West of England Development Agency 153 19,773 
			 Yorkshire Forward 295 19,510 
		
	
	
		
			  2006-07 
			  RDA Figures  Budget (£m)  Administration (£000) 
			 Advantage West Midlands 284 20,000 
			 East England Development Agency 134 10,900 
			 East Midlands Development Agency 163 16,000 
			 London Development Agency 391 n/a 
			 North West Development Agency 400 38,144 
			 One North East 251 22,607 
			 South East England Development Agency 163 17,900 
			 South West of England Development Agency 159 21,222 
			 Yorkshire Forward 310 19,290 
		
	
	The London Development Agencies administration budget is subject to the approval of their draft 2006-07 corporate plan by the Mayor.

Renewable Energy

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was spent by Government on  (a) research into and  (b) grants and subsidies to promote renewable energy in each year between 1979 and 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: It would entail disproportionate cost to identify how much was spent by Government on research, grants and subsidies to promote renewable energy in each year between 1979 and 1997. However, information on how much was spent by Government on renewable energy research, development, dissemination and demonstration, between 1989 and 1997, was published by my hon. Friend, the then Energy Minister to the hon. Member for Lewes, on 24 March 2000,  Official Report, column 715 W.
	The statistics indicate that investment in renewable energy remained broadly unchanged between 1989 and 1996 at under £26 million a year. This compares to Government spending of around £500 million in renewables and other low carbon technologies between 2002 and 2008. The Chancellor also recently announced in the Budget a further £50 million, on top of the £30 million that I had previously announced, for the Low Carbon Building Programme, which supports microgeneration and energy efficiency measures.

Research and Development

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding his Department has given to research and development via  (a) grants, (b) loans and  (c) incentive schemes since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The net DTI expenditure, leaving aside the research councils, between 1997 and 2006on R and D via  (a) 'grants' represents a cost of£2,490.8 million,  (b) 'loans' are not currently used by the Department to fund R and D,  (c) 'incentives' in the form of R and D tax credits are owned by the Treasury and as such do not represent an expense on the Department.
	 Source: Office for National Statistics 2004 Government survey of R and D on website:
	http://www.ost.gov.uk/setstats/index.htm

Severn Barrage Project

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the merits of a reappraisal of the Severn barrage project as part of the Government's energy review.

Malcolm Wicks: We are aware of the potential of a Severn barrage scheme, the most recent study of the case for a reappraisal carried out by the Severn Tidal Power Group (available at www.dti.gov.uk/energy/renewables/publications/Severnbarrage.shtml) being published in 2003.
	The Department is currently part way through an energy review that will consider all options and opportunities for ensuring we meet our energy goals in the medium to long-term.

Sexual Harassment (Tribunal Rulings)

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employment tribunal rulings on cases of constructive dismissal found in favour of the claimants where allegations of sexual harassment of a subordinate were upheld in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Employment Tribunals Service does not record separately figures for claims which specifically relate to constructive dismissal, nor does it hold separately records of claims where allegations of sexual harassment are made.

Small Shops

Shahid Malik: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to promote the economic viability of small local convenience shops.

Margaret Hodge: DTI's role is to drive up UK productivity and competitiveness. A key part of that work involves creating the conditions for the success of businesses that help to generate the UK's wealth. The support we provide enhances and encourages innovation, enterprise, best practice and investment. We assess its effectiveness in achieving our strategic goals through rigorous monitoring, analysis and evaluation.
	Small local convenience stores are eligible for the same range of support measures as other small businesses. These include a range of grants, funds, loan guarantee schemes and advice available through Business Link. In addition, we ensure that representative bodies of smaller retailers are involved with our key retail fora: Retail Policy Forum (better regulation); Retail Innovation Group (identification and exploitation of good practice); and have been invited to be part of the steering group for the fledgling Regional Retail Strategy that is exploring good practice in working with retail at regional/local level. We also ensure that the main trade associations representing small shops are notified directly about relevant public consultations.

Sub-post Offices

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many sub-post offices have closed in Staffordshire since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I understand from Post Office Ltd. that information on the Post Office® branch network has historically only been held at a national level. More recently records have been maintained at a Government office region and at parliamentary constituency level and this level of data commenced from the end of 2001-02.
	The number of post offices in the constituencies that cover the Staffordshire county area is as follows:
	
		
			  Number of Post Office® branches( 1) 
			   Staffordshire 
			 2001-02 305 
			 2002-03 297 
			 2003-04 263 
			 2004-05 229 
			 (1) The network totals include 5 branches that are directly managed by Post Office Ltd.

Uranium

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has made an assessment of the future security of supply of uranium.

Malcolm Wicks: In the context of the energy review, DTI is considering a range of assessments of the future security of supply of uranium, including the recent analysis by the Sustainable Development Commission.
	In addition, a comprehensive report of uranium supply and production is published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)—"Uranium 2003: Resources, Production and Demand" (The Red Book). An updated version of this report is due for publication on 22 May 2006.

Vehicle Licensing Tax

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment the Government have made of the impact that their policy of encouraging drivers to renew their vehicle licensing tax by  (a) telephone and  (b) the internet is having on rural post offices.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Decisions relating to vehicle licensing are the responsibility of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). Post Office Ltd. continues to act as an agent for the DVLA with 95 per cent. of the population within two miles of a Motor Vehicle Licence issuing office.
	Government continue to broaden the way that they offer their services to reflect a changing world and to respond to the new ways that the public wish to access these services. The Post Office is one of a number of ways to deliver Government services and still has an important role to play. We want to see a Post Office network that meets the needs of today and the future and not those of 20 or 30 years ago and have made an unprecedented investment of over £2 billion in the network since 1999, including £750 million to help maintain the rural network to 2008.

TRANSPORT

A1

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average traffic levels were at each interchange of the A1 Western bypass from North Gosforth to the New Tyne crossing, Newcastle in each of the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: The following table provides the average annual daily totals (AADT) of vehicles using the A1 between the interchange of the A1 with the A1056, north of Gosforth, to the A1 interchange with the A694, to the south of the New Tyne crossing.
	
		
			   2001 AADT  2002 AADT  2003 AADT 
			  Location  NB( 1)  SB( 2)  Total  NB( 1)  SB( 2)  Total  NB( 1)  SB( 2)  Total 
			 A1056-A696 33,000 33,400 66,400 34,400 34,300 68,700 35,900 35,500 71,400 
			 A696-A167 38,900 — — 41,000 — — 42,600 42,600 85,200 
			 A167-A69 43,500 42,500 86,400 43,500 43,900 87,400 46,500 47,700 94,400 
			 A69-A694 44,000 41,600 81,900 45,500 43,500 89,000 46,500 45,000 91,400 
		
	
	
		
			   2004 AADT  2005 AADT 
			  Location  NB( 1)  SB( 2)  Total  NB( 1)  SB( 2)  Total 
			 A1056-A696 36,500 36,800 73,300 37,700 37,500 75,200 
			 A696-A167 44,300 44,100 88,500 44,300 43,600 87,900 
			 A167-A69 48,400 51,000 99,400 48,700 47,900 96,600 
			 A69-A694 48,100 46,400 94,500 48,500 46,800 95,300 
			 (1 )NB = Northbound.  (2 )SB = Southbound.

DIRECTS Report

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place a copy of the report into the DIRECTS project in the Library.

Stephen Ladyman: The data collection phase of the DIRECTS (Demonstration of Interoperable Road user End-to-end Charging and Telematics Systems) project concluded at the end of March 2006. I expect the analysis and conclusions will be published in the 4th quarter of 2006 and a copy of the report will be made available to the Library and published in the usual way on the Department's website.

Equal Pay

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are undertaken within his Department to ensure that women are obtaining equal pay to men doing work of equal value.

Derek Twigg: The Department of Transport (Centre) and each of the Department's agencies are individual business units. Each unit is an equal opportunity employer.
	Each unit has carried out a full equal pay review for staff below the senior civil service within the last three years with further full reviews to be undertaken this year. If any disparities are identified these are to be investigated and rectified accordingly. Pay systems are reviewed on an annual basis.

Home Working

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people in his Department have been enabled to work from home in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The following numbers of DfT staff have been enabled to work away from the office over the last three years:-
	
		
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 DfT (Central) 384 292 477 
			 DVLA 49 94 188 
			 HA 59 66 64 
			 MCGA (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 VOSA 2 2 2 
			 VGA 30 40 46 
			 GCDA 6 6 8 
			 DSA 0 0 2 
			 (1) Figures unavailable. 
		
	
	The figures represent those enabled to work away from the office by means of remote access IT links. This will include home working, but also working from other official locations. The Department and its agencies have a flexible approach in helping staff meet work life balance commitments. Although the Department does not have a formal home working policy, it has other policies which cover a variety of working patterns, such as flexible working hours, staggered hours, part-time working and job share. Requests to work from home on an ad hoc basis are subject to line agreement.

Kingston Park Shopping Centre

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Highways Agency has issued article 14 directions on the proposed redevelopment and expansion of the Kingston Park shopping centre in Newcastle.

Stephen Ladyman: Newcastle city council have not yet consulted the Highways Agency on this application as part of the planning process. However the Agency has asked for a copy of the relevant Transport Assessment to enable them to review the proposals and any potential impact on the trunk road network. This review will determine whether an article 14 direction is required.

Ministerial Cars

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many ministerial cars are used in each Government Department; what the cost was of maintaining ministerial cars, broken down by Department, in the last year for which figures are available; who supplies ministerial cars; and what discounts the Department receives in relation to the  (a) purchase and  (b) hire of ministerial cars.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Wimbledon (Stephen Hammond) on 19 April 2006,  Official Report, column 701W. This information was correct as of 4 May. Information on the cost of maintaining each ministerial car is not readily available and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
	The Government Car and Despatch Agency is responsible for providing ministerial cars and drivers. Vehicles are purchased through a number of Government-wide contracts in accordance with relevant European and domestic procurement legislation. The contracts provide for a range of discounts, but it would not be in the public interest to disclose commercially sensitive details.

Ministerial Cars

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has carried out of the  (a) emission levels,  (b) fuel economy,  (c) cost and  (d) safety of ministerial cars.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government Car and Despatch Agency has responsibility for the provision of ministerial cars. In establishing whether a particular car is suitable for ministerial use the Agency must satisfy me that it is achieving value for money, that it meets with the Prime Minister's guidance "Travel by Ministers" and that the Agency complies with relevant procurement legislation. The Agency periodically evaluates a range of cars against a number of criteria including emission levels, fuel economy, cost and residual value, and safety. The last review, carried out in 2005, resulted in the provision of either the diesel powered Jaguar XJ or the hybrid electric/petrol Toyota Prius for Cabinet Ministers, and either the diesel powered Vauxhall Vectra or the Toyota Prius for other Ministers.

Railways

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many prosecutions have been brought by the British Transport police during the past 12 months for antisocial behaviour on the railway network; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 24 April 2006
	The British Transport police (BTP) have informed me that between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2006 the total number of offenders prosecuted for antisocial behaviour offences recorded by the force numbered 5,567. This figure excludes graffiti offences as they are recorded as 'criminal damage' offences on the justice administration system (JAS). During the same period the BTP secured 124 antisocial behaviour orders.

Railways

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the train operating companies that have requested compensation payments for losses incurred as a result of industrial action from  (a) the Strategic Rail Authority and  (b) the Department for Transport in each month since 2003.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 20 March 2006
	The information for each train operating company is a matter of commercial confidentiality and it would be inappropriate to make it available.

Railways

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the train operating companies which requested compensation payments from  (a) the Strategic Rail Authority and  (b) his Department for losses incurred as a result of industrial action in each month since January 2003.

Derek Twigg: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I have given him today [UIN 58390].

Railways

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent research has been conducted into the economic value of the cross-country rail network; and if he will publish the findings.

Derek Twigg: The Department follows the new approach to transport appraisal (NATA) which includes socio-economic benefits. The NATA guidelines are available on webtag. (www.webtag.org.uk)

Railways

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the passenger growth on the Tamworth to Birmingham railway line was in each year between 1994 and 2005.

Derek Twigg: Information between 1994 and 2005 is not available in the form requested. The percentage change in the number of passengers travelling to and from the named stations is shown in the following tables (this information does not include passengers joining or alighting between these stations or making journeys beyond):
	
		
			  (a) Tamworth to Birmingham 
			  Year( 1)  Percentage passenger growth 
			 2002-03 1.9 
			 2003-04 16.7 
			 2004-05 4.8 
			 2005-06 -3.0 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Birmingham to Tamworth 
			  Year( 1)  Percentage passenger growth 
			 2002-2003 27.1 
			 2003-2004 15.0 
			 2004-2005 -3.9 
			 2005-2006 12.2 
			 (1 )Rail reporting year which is April to March.

Sea Defences

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to attract resources from the European Regional Development Fund to reinstate the old Southern Railway route in Devon in the event of a failure of railway sea defences at Dawlish.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 9 May 2006
	It falls to Network Rail to continue to monitor the likelihood of risks to the safety and operational integrity of the railway in the Dawlish area, arising from possible increases in sea levels associated with climate change; and to propose further appropriate measures of protection from flooding and coastal erosion.
	Network Rail advises me that it does not believe the railway sea defences in the Dawlish area are likely to fail in the foreseeable future. Were this to become more likely, Network Rail would identify and consider a range of options to address any problems, taking account of value for money and affordability.

Stockport Station

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passenger trains have used platform 0 at Stockport railway station since it became operational.

Derek Twigg: Since January 2006 17 trains have used platform 0 each Sunday to accommodate engineering works. Usage of the platform will increase from the June 2006 timetable change date.

Transport Regulations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the operation of Road Vehicle (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 1971; and what recent representations he has received about the operation of these regulations.

Stephen Ladyman: The Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 1971 have been superseded by the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002. Recent representations in relation to those regulations have focussed on the release of information from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's (DVLA) vehicle register.
	Regulation 27(1 )(e) of the 2002 regulations requires that DVLA release particulars held on its vehicle register to anyone who can demonstrate 'reasonable cause' for having the particulars made available to him. The term 'reasonable cause' is not defined in the legislation and each request is considered on its merits.
	These regulations consolidate legislation that has been in force and working efficiently for over 40 years. However, when the provisions were originally introduced they did not anticipate the introduction of electronic databases, the large number of vehicles on the roads, or the range of bodies now requesting access. Concerns have also recently been raised about the breadth of organisations that have access to the register. For these reasons, I announced a review of the regulations governing the release of information. A consultation paper was published on 16 February which sought to address all aspects of the release of information from the vehicle register. The consultation period closed on 31 March 2006 and our conclusions will be published in the near future.

Transport Regulations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the operation of the Road Traffic (Driver Licensing and Information Systems) Act 1989; and what recent representations he has received about the operation of this Act.

Stephen Ladyman: The Road Traffic (Driver Licensing and Information Systems) Act 1989 abolished special licences for driving heavy goods and passenger service vehicles (now known as large goods vehicles (LGV) and passenger carrying vehicles (PCV)).
	The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency ensures the continuing operation of this Act by integrating within a single licence both car and LGV and PCV entitlements.
	No recent representations have been received.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

James Miller/Tom Hurndall

Nick Harvey: To ask the Solicitor-General if he will seek to gain access to evidence regarding the cases of James Miller and Tom Hurndall from the Israeli authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: On 5 May 2006 the Attorney-General met the families of James Miller and Thomas Hurndall together with their lawyers. The Attorney-General is considering the issues raised by both families.

Northern Ireland High Court (Crown Appeals)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Solicitor-General on how many occasions there have been Crown appeals against the length of a sentence in Northern Ireland's High Court in the last three years.

Mike O'Brien: During the three years 2003 to 2005 there were 28 cases referred to the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal as being potentially unduly lenient. In 2006 there have been two cases referred to date.

TREASURY

Bank of England

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many nominees he considered for the post of Deputy Governor of the Bank of England apart from Sir John Gieve; and what the process of selection was before he made his nomination;
	(2)  when he nominated Sir John Gieve to be Deputy Governor of the Bank of England; and whether he interviewed Sir John personally.

Edward Balls: Under the Bank of England Act 1998, the Queen is responsible for appointing the Deputy Governor of the Bank of England. The appointment of Sir John Gieve was made on the recommendation of the Prime Minister who in turn was advised by the Chancellor on 11 October of last year. The Chancellor did not interview Sir John Gieve and eight candidates were considered alongside Sir John Gieve.
	This appointment process does not fall within the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments because it is highly market sensitive. In common with other highly market sensitive appointments the Chancellor's recommendation to the Prime Minister was based on a considered appraisal of a number of suitable candidates.

Bank of England

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the staffing requirement of the Bank of England to meet its statutory financial supervision and regulatory obligations in each year since 1996.

Ivan Lewis: Under the Bank of England Act 1998, responsibility for management of the Bank's affairs resides with the Bank's court of directors.
	Since 1998 statutory responsibility for financial supervision and regulation has resided solely with the Financial Services Authority. The Bank is only responsible for contributing to the overall stability of the financial system as a whole.

Biofuels

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the quality criterion will be available for inclusion of biofuel manufacturers using pure vegetable oil, within the current 20 pence per litre duty reduction, with particular reference to rape seed oil.

John Healey: Fuel produced from vegetable oil, including rape seed oil, is eligible for the rate of duty for biodiesel (currently 27.10 pence per litre) if it meets the legal definition of biodiesel for tax purposes set out in section 2AA of the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979 (HODA). In other cases it is liable to duty at 47.10 pence per litre. Conformity with this definition rather than the source of the oil or method of production determines whether a fuel is deemed as a biodiesel for tax purposes.
	As announced at Budget 2006, the Government are reviewing the current definition of biodiesel in HODA to ensure that it remains fit for purpose and enables environmentally friendly fuels, which meet fuel quality standards, to receive recognition through the duty system. HM Revenue and Customs will hold discussions with stakeholders in the coming months and the Government will report on progress at the pre-Budget report.

Centenarians

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people aged 100 or over there are in each county in England.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 May 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question regarding the number of people aged 100 or over there are in each county in England. (68392)
	The attached table provides the information requested. The figures are taken from 2001 Census table S001 which is available on the 'CD supplement to the National Report for England and Wales and Key Statistics for local authorities in England and Wales'. Data are shown for current administrative counties. For completeness, figures are also shown for other 'non-county' areas (i.e. London boroughs, metropolitan districts, and unitary authorities).
	Age information for annual mid-year population estimates is available up to age 89 and then 90 and over. It is not possible to calculate reliable annual population estimates for centenarians for sub-national areas.
	
		
			  Population aged 100 and over, English counties, 2001 Census 
			  County  Population aged 100 and over 
			  Other areas  
			 Bedfordshire 50 
			 Buckinghamshire 84 
			 Cambridgeshire 92 
			 Cheshire 126 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 107 
			 Cumbria 89 
			 Derbyshire 106 
			 Devon 151 
			 Dorset 92 
			 Durham 67 
			 East Sussex 143 
			 Essex 198 
			 Gloucestershire 111 
			 Hampshire 229 
			 Hertfordshire 145 
			 Isle of Wight 41 
			 Kent 271 
			 Lancashire 184 
			 Leicestershire 83 
			 Lincolnshire 105 
			 Norfolk 154 
			 North Yorkshire 114 
			 Northamptonshire 97 
			 Northumberland 48 
			 Nottinghamshire 112 
			 Oxfordshire 91 
			 Shropshire 53 
			 Somerset 119 
			 Staffordshire 138 
			 Suffolk 133 
			 Surrey 196 
			 Warwickshire 74 
			 West Sussex 190 
			 Wiltshire 84 
			 Worcestershire 92 
			  
			 Barking and Dagenham 18 
			 Barnet 75 
			 Barnsley 26 
			 Bath and North East Somerse 32 
			 Bexley 29 
			 Birmingham 149 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 12 
			 Blackpool 20 
			 Bolton 36 
			 Bournemouth 61 
			 Bracknell Forest 10 
			 Bradford 77 
			 Brent 33 
			 Brighton and Hove 53 
			 Bristol 54 
			 Bromley 54 
			 Bury 23 
			 Calderdale 31 
			 Camden 32 
			 City of London 0 
			 Coventry 37 
			 Croydon 50 
			 Darlington 19 
			 Derby City 36 
			 Doncaster 43 
			 Dudley 51 
			 Baling 45 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 53 
			 Enfield 37 
			 Gateshead 27 
			 Greenwich 29 
			 Hackney 29 
			 Halton 10 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 25 
			 Haringey 32 
			 Harrow 31 
			 Hartlepool 12 
			 Havering 33 
			 Herefordshire, County of 35 
			 Hillingdon 31 
			 Hounslow 21 
			 Islington 21 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 19 
			 Kingston upon Hull 38 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 25 
			 Kirklees 54 
			 Knowsley 15 
			 Lambeth 21 
			 Leeds 115 
			 Leicester City 44 
			 Lewisham 38 
			 Liverpool 60 
			 Luton 27 
			 Manchester 67 
			 Medway 22 
			 Merton 28 
			 Middlesbrough 19 
			 Milton Keynes 26 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 37 
			 Newham 23 
			 North East Lincolnshire 18 
			 North Lincolnshire 37 
			 North Somerset 55 
			 North Tyneside 42 
			 Nottingham City 44 
			 Oldham 33 
			 Peterborough 10 
			 Plymouth 39 
			 Poole 33 
			 Portsmouth 29 
			 Reading 15 
			 Redbridge 29 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 20 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 35 
			 Rochdale 29 
			 Rotherham 32 
			 Rutland 3 
			 Salford 34 
			 Sandwell 40 
			 Sefton 67 
			 Sheffield 70 
			 Slough 11 
			 Solihull 24 
			 South Gloucestershire 36 
			 South Tyneside 36 
			 Southampton 28 
			 Southend 49 
			 Southwark 33 
			 St Helens 25 
			 Stockport 41 
			 Stockton on Tees 17 
			 Stoke on Trent 28 
			 Sunderland 36 
			 Sutton 23 
			 Swindon 28 
			 Tameside 28 
			 Telford and Wrekin 16 
			 Thurrock 12 
			 Torbay 33 
			 Tower Hamlets 28 
			 Trafford 20 
			 Wakefield 42 
			 Walsall 32 
			 Waltham Forest 37 
			 Wandsworth 50 
			 Warrington 27 
			 West Berkshire 21 
			 Westminster, City of 22 
			 Wigan 30 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 27 
			 Wirral 50 
			 Wokingham 16 
			 Wolverhampton 27 
			 York 26 
			  Source:  Office for National Statistics

Centenarians

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list primary care trusts in order of  (a) average age of population,  (b) the proportion of over-65s,  (c) the proportion of over 25s and  (d) the proportion of over 85s in their areas.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 May 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary Question requesting lists of primary care trusts in order of (a) average age of population, (b) the proportion of over 65s (c) the proportion of over 25s and (d) the proportion of over 85s in their areas. (68393)
	The attached Tables A-D, which I am placing in the House of Commons Library, provide the requested information. The tables are based on mid-2004 population estimates; these are the latest available. The tables provide information on all Primary Care Organisation areas in England: 300 Primary Care Trusts and the 3 Care Trusts (Bexley, Northumberland, and Witham, Braintree & Halstead). The 'median age' measure of average age is used.

Compensation Payments

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his letter of 21 March Ref: 4/25060/06, when the constituents of the hon. Member for West Worcestershire can expect to receive the compensation payment of £100 from HM Revenue and Customs.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 27 April 2006
	HMRC sent the payment in question on 27 April 2006.

Consultancy Firms

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what records are held centrally by the Government on consultancy firms hired by Government Departments.

John Healey: Information about specific consultancy engagements, or those consultants hired by Government are not held centrally.

Corporate Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions he has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months.

Edward Balls: Paragraph 5.28 of the Ministerial Code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.

Correspondence

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Paymaster General will reply to the hon. Member for Edinburgh West's letter of 24 February 2006 regarding his constituent Ms P Duff.

Dawn Primarolo: I have done so.

Doncaster, North (Statistics)

Edward Miliband: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Doncaster, North residents were employed in mining in  (a) 1981,  (b) 1991,  (c) 2001 and  (d) the most recent year for which figures are available.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 May 2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment in the mining industry in (a) 1981, (b) 1991, (c) 2001 and (d) the most recent year for which figures are available. (68294)
	The information requested is available from 1991 and 2001 Censuses of Population. Equivalent information from the 1981 Census is not available.
	The 1991 Census shows 132 people resident in the Doncaster North constituency employed in mining. The 2001 Census shows 351 persons aged 16 to 74, resident in the Doncaster North constituency employed in mining and quarrying.
	The 1991 data have been taken from table S73 in the 1991 Census Small Area Statistics which is available on request from Census Customer Services (census.customerservices@ons. gsi.gov.uk). The 2001 data have been taken from table KS11a in the "Census 2001 Report for Parliamentary Constituencies" which is available in the House of Commons Library.

Doncaster, North (Statistics)

Edward Miliband: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit recipients there were in each ward in Doncaster, North in  (a) 1997 and  (b) the most recent year for which figures are available; and what the average award was in each year in each case.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the number of families who were receiving family credit in 1997 is not available at ward level.
	Reliable estimates of the number of families receiving child and working tax credits are also not available at ward level. However, estimates of the number of recipient families in each constituency and local authority at various dates are published on the HMRC website at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-qeog-stats.htm.

Doncaster, North (Statistics)

Edward Miliband: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many ethnic minority residents there were in Doncaster, North  (a) in (i) 1981, (ii) 1991 and (iii) 2001 and  (b) according to the most recent figures available.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 May 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many ethnic minority residents there were in Doncaster, North (a) in (i) 1981, (ii) 1991 and (iii) 2001 and (b) according to the most recent figures available. (68305)
	A question on ethnicity was not asked in the 1981 Census and consequently no data are available. Data from the 2001 census are the most recent figures available.
	
		
			  Doncaster, North parliamentary constituency 
			   1991  2001 
			 All people 83,834 82,767 
			
			  White   
			 Total White 83,235 81,909 
			 British (1)n/a 81,191 
			 Irish (1)n/a 357 
			 Other White (1)n/a 361 
			
			 Non-White 599 858 
			 (1) In the 1991 Census there was no sub-division of the "White" ethnic category.   Sources:  Table G in the "Census 1991 New Parliamentary Constituency Monitor for Yorkshire and the Humber" and Table KS06 in the "Census 2001 Report for Parliamentary Constituencies" 
		
	
	The 1991 data have been taken from the counts supporting table G in the "Census 1991 New Parliamentary Constituency Monitor for Yorkshire and the Humber" which is available on request from 2001 Census Customer Services (census.customerservices@ons. gsi.gov.uk). The 2001 data have been taken from KS06 in the "Census 2001 Report for Parliamentary Constituencies" which is available in the House of Commons Library.
	Differences in the ethnic group questions, coding and in the methods for treatment of under-enumeration complicate the making of direct comparisons between 1991 and 2001. More information is provided in the 'Guide to comparing 1991 and 2001 Census ethnic group data' and can be found on the ONS website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/article.asp?ID=1471 &Pos=1&ColRank=1&Rank=64.

Doncaster, North (Statistics)

Edward Miliband: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many residents of Doncaster, North worked outside the constituency in  (a) 1981,  (b) 1991,  (c) 2001 and  (d) the most recent year for which figures are available.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 May 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many residents of Doncaster, North worked outside of the constituency in (a) 1981, (b) 1991 and (c) 2001 and (d) the most recent year for which figures are available. (68320)
	As Doncaster North Parliamentary Constituency did not exist in 1981 no data is available for this year. Data from the 2001 census are the most recent figures available.
	
		
			  Doncaster, North parliamentary constituency 
			   Works in Doncaster North  Works Outside Doncaster North 
			 1991 (1)14,400 (1)15,270 
			 2001 13,327 19,770 
			 (1 )In 1991 responses to workplace questions were only processed for approximately 10 per cent. of the population. The figures in this table have been grossed up by a factor of 10.16 to account for this.   Source:  1991 and 2001 Census Data

Doncaster, North (Statistics)

Edward Miliband: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people with disabilities were resident in Doncaster, North constituency in  (a) 1981, (b) 1991,  (c) 2001 and  (d) the most recent period for which figures are available, broken down by disability.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 May 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many people with disabilities were resident in Doncaster, North constituency in  (a) 1981,  (b) 1991 and  (c) 2001 and  (d) the most recent year for which figures are available, broken down by disability. (68328)
	The Census is the only data source suitable for local area statistics of this nature. The Census question asked whether the respondent perceived themselves to have a long-term limiting illness, health problem or disability which limits their daily activities or the work they can do, including problems that are due to old age. This is a "yes" or "no" question and no breakdown of illness of disability is available. The figures in the table below therefore cover not only disability but also health problems and old age. This question was first asked in the 1991 Census and therefore data for 1981 is unavailable. Data from the 2001 census are the most recent figures available.
	
		
			  Doncaster, North parliamentary constituency 
			   All people  Has a limiting long-term Illness 
			 1991 83,834 14,350 
			 2001 82,767 19,933 
			  Source: Tables 12 and 13 in the 1991 Census Small Area Statistics and UV22 in the Census 2001 Census Area Statistics for Parliamentary Constituencies 
		
	
	The 1991 data have been amalgamated from tables 12 and 13 in the 1991 Census Small Area Statistics which is available on request from Census Customer Services [census.customerservices @ons.gsi.gov.uk]. The 2001 data has been taken from table UV22 on the CD supplement to the Census 2001 Census Area Statistics for Parliamentary Constituencies which is available in the Statistical Research Unit in the

Euro Preparations Unit

Michael Gove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total costs of the Treasury's Euro Preparations Unit were in  (a) 2002-03,  (b) 2003-04,  (c) 2004-05 and  (d) 2005-06; how many (i) full and (ii) part-time staff there were in each year; what the programme budget was for each year; what projects were undertaken in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: The costs of the Euro Preparations Unit (EPU) in each of these years were met from within the Treasury's departmental expenditure limit. The number of staff in EPU varied within each year, reflecting normal staff turnover. The mid-year figures were:
	
		
			  As at September  EPU staffing( 1) 
			 2002 17 
			 2003 13 
			 2004 10 
			 2005 9 
			 (1) Full-time equivalents 
		
	
	The projects and activities of the Euro Preparation Unit are set out in the reports on euro preparations available on the Treasury's public website (www.euro.gov.uk). Central planning documents including the managed transition plan and the consumer protection framework are well developed and the focus of EPU is now on maintaining these and the network of expert stakeholders.

General Practitioners

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria HM Revenue and Customs uses in determining that GPs are regarded as self-employed for tax purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: There is no statutory definition of employment and self-employment for tax and national insurance contributions (NICs). HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) use 'case law' defined by the courts, as an outline principle when they give an opinion on employment status for tax and NICs.
	General practitioners can be engaged on employed or self-employed terms, there is no one answer to cover all situations. In practice, however, common features, such as the autonomy that general practitioners have over the way their practices are administered and arranged usually mean that it is HMRC's view that they are likely to be self-employed.

Informal Economy

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to reduce the size of the informal economy in the West Midlands.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC is currently restructuring its approach to tackling the informal economy. This builds on and brings together the work previously undertaken by the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise in this area.
	Nationally new teams are being set up dedicated to identifying individuals and businesses who should be registered for income tax and VAT. At the same time HMRC has been running extensive media campaigns promoting awareness of the need to register as well as a Hotline focussing on increasing intelligence relating to the informal economy.
	HMRC is also participating in the Joint Workplace Enforcement Pilot, led by Home Office and based in the West Midlands. This is a three-year pilot to explore the scope for closer co-ordinated working between Government workplace enforcement and compliance departments for the purpose of tackling both the use and exploitation of illegal migrant workers.

Informal Economy

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the size of the informal economy in  (a) the UK,  (b) the West Midlands and  (c) Tamworth constituency.

Dawn Primarolo: There is no reliable estimate of the size of the informal economy in  (a) the UK,  (b) the West Midlands or  (c) Tamworth constituency.

Kidney Failure

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in  (a) England and  (b) Dorset died as a result of kidney failure in 2005.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 May 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning how many people in (a) England and (b) Dorset died as a result of kidney failure in 2005. (68311)
	The latest year for which figures are available is 2004. Numbers of deaths in 2004 where kidney failure was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate are included in the attached table.
	Kidney failure can be the result of a number of different conditions or diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or infections. In most cases the underlying cause of death will be one of these causes rather than kidney failure. To provide more complete figures, numbers of deaths with a mention of kidney failure have therefore been provided rather than deaths where this was the underlying cause.
	
		
			  Deaths with a mention of kidney failure,( 1)  England and Dorset,( 2, 3)  2004( 4) 
			   Number of deaths 
			 England 26,207 
			 Dorset 237 
			 (1) Deaths with a mention of kidney failure were defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The codes used are listed as follows: Renal failure—ICD10 N17-N19 (2) Figures for Dorset are for the current county which excludes the unitary authorities of Bournemouth and Poole, created in 1997.  (3) Usual residents of these areas.  (4) Deaths registered in the 2004 calendar year.

Married Person's Tax Allowance

James Paice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many cases HM Revenue and Customs has discovered that taxpayers have been wrongly receiving married person's tax allowance in each year since it was abolished.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 10 May 2006
	Married Couple's Allowance was abolished from 2000-01 but only for those born after 6 April 1935. Information is not available about the numbers of taxpayers who may have claimed and been given the allowance incorrectly.

Ministerial Flights

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey), of 26 April 2006,  Official Report, column 1173W, on ministerial flights, whether air passenger duty is payable on flights other than commercial flights taken by  (a) Ministers and  (b) members of the Royal Family.

John Healey: In the event of Ministers and members of the Royal Family taking other than commercial flights, it is likely that they would use the Royal Air Force. Since the Royal Air Force is not deemed to be an Air Transport Undertaking under the Air Navigation Order 1982, its flights are not liable to air passenger duty.

Newhaven Port

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals used the facility installed at Newhaven port to allow them to declare goods remotely by telephone in 2005.

Dawn Primarolo: Currently travellers and vehicles arriving at the port of Newhaven arrive directly from another EU member state. As declarations are only required from individuals arriving from outside the EU, no declaration point is required and no 'Red Point' telephone is installed.

Private Healthcare (Taxation)

Philip Dunne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners in occupational pension schemes who will opt out of private healthcare provision in order to avoid it being taxed as a benefit in kind following the recent changes in the tax treatment of such provision.

Edward Balls: It is difficult to estimate the behavioural effect of a change of this type. We expect that the overall number of people affected by this change will be small.

Private Healthcare (Taxation)

Philip Dunne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue to be raised in the tax year 2006-07 from the decision to treat employer contributions to private medical schemes for people in retirement as a benefit in kind.

Edward Balls: A Regulatory Impact Assessment ('Regulatory Impact Assessment for Simplifying the taxation of pensions' Update) was published on22 March 2006 setting out the Government's assessment of the impact of the changes to the new simplified regime for pensions taxation introduced in the 2006 Budget. This is available at www.hmrc.gov.uk/ria/ria-pensions-simplification.pdf. The Government estimate that pensions tax simplification will havean overall cost to the Exchequer building up to£250 million per year.

Stamp Duty

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals paid stamp dutyon  (a) residential and  (b) commercial property transactions, in (i) each Government office region,(ii) Wales, (iii) Scotland and (iv) Northern Ireland in each financial year since 1996-97.

Edward Balls: The estimated number of residential and non-residential transactions, where stamp duty was payable on account of the value of the transaction being higher than the stamp duty threshold, is given in the following tables for the years and regions for which information is available. The stamp duty threshold for residential transactions was £60,000 up to 16 March 2005 and £120,000 from 17 March 2005. For non-residential transactions the threshold was £60,000 up to 30 November 2003 and £150,000 from 1 December 2003 to the end of 2004-05. Residential transactions from 30 November 2001 with values above £60,000 and up to £150,000 in designated disadvantaged areas were relieved from stamp duty and have been excluded from these figures. However non-residential transactions which were valued above the threshold but paid no duty due to the operation of reliefs (e.g. disadvantaged area relief, charitable relief) are included in the table because reliable estimates of all relieved transactions are not available.
	
		
			  Number (Thousand) 
			   1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			  Residential  
			 England 531 630 640 806 786 925 1,001 878 981 
			 North East 11 17 14 18 17 19 22 33 32 
			 North West 43 47 53 67 73 84 94 86 99 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 31 35 36 48 48 41 58 57 80 
			 East Midlands 29 34 38 48 51 45 74 64 89 
			 West Midlands 44 48 51 60 65 69 85 64 84 
			 East of England 65 79 82 102 102 125 124 111 130 
			 London 116 139 139 178 158 172 169 139 150 
			 South East 129 157 152 189 170 233 233 191 198 
			 South West 64 75 76 98 101 136 142 134 119 
			 Wales 17 19 19 26 24 34 42 47 38 
			 Scotland n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 56 66 80 n/a 
			 Northern Ireland 13 17 18 26 21 21 32 24 27 
			   
			  Commercial  
			 England 42 53 48 49 39 48 52 48 33 
			 North East 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 
			 North West 4 5 5 5 4 5 7 7 4 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 3 4 4 4 3 6 7 5 3 
			 East Midlands 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 3 
			 West Midlands 5 6 5 5 4 4 4 5 4 
			 East of England 6 7 6 6 4 4 5 5 3 
			 London 7 8 8 8 7 10 8 5 5 
			 South East 7 10 7 9 6 9 7 8 5 
			 South West 4 6 7 6 5 7 8 7 4 
			 Wales 2 2 3 2 2 3 2 4 2 
			 Scotland n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 6 7 7 n/a 
			 Northern Ireland 1 2 2 3 2 3 4 3 3 
			 n/a = not available

Tax Credits

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax credit fraud has been perpetrated by HM Revenue and Customs' employees; and how many HM Revenue and Customs' employees have been prosecuted for tax credit fraud.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has robust procedures in place to identify abuse of the tax credits system, and has identified the false use of the names of a number of DWP staff, as outlined in the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 18 January 2006,  Official Report, column 1357W.
	No fraud has been found to have been perpetrated by HMRC employees as a result of this investigation, but prosecution will always be pursued against the very small number of HMRC's 98,000 staff who abuse their position of trust. There are four HMRC employees who are currently being prosecuted for other alleged tax credit fraud involving amounts totalling £500,000. These cases have yet to be concluded in the courts.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the morale of staff working at the tax credits office; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC takes the morale and well-being of its staff very seriously, including those working at the tax credit office, and takes very seriously the maintenance and improvement of staff well-being.

Tax Credits

Andrew Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 30 March,  Official Report, column 117W, on tax credits, how many monetary payments have been agreed between HM Revenue and Customs and recipients of tax credits where people have deliberately or negligently made incorrect statements  (a) in total and  (b) in each compliance office in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in the last year for which information is available; and how many involved payments of (i) less than £250,(ii) £250 to £499, (iii) £500 to £999 and (iv) £1,000 and over.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 18 April 2006
	The following table provides details of the number of penalties imposed in total and in the Claimant Compliance Offices that cover Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
	
		
			  Penalties: Period 26 March 2005 to 21 March 2006 
			  Penalty bands  CCC E.Hants/Wight  CCC Surrey/N.Hants/ Berks  CCC W.Hants  Total 
			  Under £250 
			 Number of cases with penalties 0 1 2 3 
			 Sum of penalties (£) 0.00 66.00 210.00 276.00 
			  
			  £250-£499 
			 Number of cases with penalties 34 14 22 70 
			 Sum of penalties (£) 10,473.00 4,275.00 6,929.00 21,677.00 
			  
			  £500-£999 
			 Number of cases with penalties 0 10 12 31 
			 Sum of penalties (£) 5,375.00 5,200.00 6,003.00 16,578.00 
			  
			  National 
			 Number of cases with penalties — — — 2,148 
			 Sum of penalties (£) — — — 825,235.16

Tax Credits

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals in the Peterborough constituency were overpaid tax credits in the financial year 2004-05; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Tax credits are awarded to families rather than individuals. For the number of 2004-05 awards to families that have been overpaid, by constituency, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to hon. Friend the Member for West Lancashire (Rosie Cooper) on 24 April 2006,  Official Report, column 878W.

Tax Credits

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many disabled adults have claimed tax credits in Tamworth constituency in each month since April 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of tax credits recipients in each constituency are based on a sample of cases. Any estimates of the number of disabled adults in families receiving tax credits in any constituency would be subject to a very large relative sampling uncertainty and therefore no reliable estimates are available.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many joint claims for tax credits were terminated in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05 and  (c) 2005-06.

Dawn Primarolo: The majority of awards are terminated because of a failure to renew the previous year's award. Therefore in 2003-04 very few tax credit awards to couples were terminated after the start of the year. We estimate that about 135,000 awards for 2004-05 were terminated after the start of the year, and about 160,000 awards for 2005-06 were terminated after the start of the year.

Tax Returns

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Government's response to the Carter Committee's recommendations on bringing forward the tax return filing deadline.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to paragraph 5.81 of this year's Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report (HC 968).

Tax Returns

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment the Government have made of the potential impact of advancing the tax return filing deadline on  (a) business and  (b) the capacity of HM Revenue and Customs to process returns quickly and without error.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government are currently assessing the impacts on businesses of implementing the recommendations of Lord Carter of Coles' Review of HMRC Online Services, and HMRC has published a partial regulatory impact assessment which invites comments and evidence to inform the final assessment. The document can be viewed at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ria/pria-online-services.pdf.
	The proposed changes to the income tax self assessment return filing deadlines will promote online filing leading to fewer processing errors and cleaner data. The new deadlines will also enable HMRC to calculate the tax for all paper filers and tell them what to pay before the 31 January payment deadline and help to ensure that PAYE coding notices are up to date by the start of the following tax year.

Valuation Office Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information the Valuation Office Agency will have access to as a consequence of the implementation of the Valuebill project.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	The only additional information that the VOA receives through the Valuebill initiative that was not available previously is the National Land and Property Gazetteer unique property reference numbers (UPRN) and co-ordinates of the property, both of which are used to correctly identify the property concerned.

Valuation Office Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which representatives from the Valuation Office Agency attended the Property Information Systems Common Exchange Standard (PISCES) home information packs workgroup meeting on 30 March.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	None.

Value Added Tax

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the Treasury of introducing a zero VAT rating on authors; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 3 May 2006
	No estimate has been made.

Voluntary Shops

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer under what fiscal regime a voluntary shop in a rural area operates; and what assessment he has made of the impact on such business of recent changes in corporation tax.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 3 May 2006
	A 'voluntary shop in a rural area' has been taken to refer to a shop that is set up and run by volunteers. Such shops will generally pay corporation tax on any profits in the usual manner.
	However where such shops operating within the charge to corporation tax donate all or part of their profits to community or other charities under Gift Aid, there will be no tax paid on the profits donated.
	The replacement of the starting and non-corporate distribution rates of corporation tax with a single banding for small companies set at the current small companies' rate, announced at Budget, will only impact on voluntary shops that are liable to pay corporation tax, and to the extent that they do not donate their profits to charities under Gift Aid.
	A full regulatory impact assessment can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ria/ria-corporation-tax.pdf.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

House Mail Services

Andrew Dismore: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission 
	(1)  whether the Commission has discussed with Royal Mail  (a) a bulk purchase contract and  (b) a business mail discount; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what consideration the Commission has given to using alternatives to Royal Mail for the House's mail.

Nick Harvey: Royal Mail offer a range of products that provide bulk purchase and business mail discounts, but these apply only where there is a central point of posting and administration which enables Royal Mail to use their automation of bulk postings to reduce operational costs. As Parliament's pre-paid envelope service provides the ability to post in constituencies anywhere in the UK, often in small volumes, these services are not applicable. Given a background of increasing deregulation within the mail industry the House authorities keep the possibilities of alternative contracts under continuous review.
	A thorough evaluation of the external market through the  Official Journal of the European Commission was also carried out in 2005 in respect of Parliament's own mail service. Four firms were short-listed and Royal Mail won a new three year contract after they were able to convince the evaluation panel that they could deliver to a demanding specification and provide value for money.

Stationery Supplies

Andrew Dismore: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what recent discussions the House authorities have had with stationery suppliers on procuring alternative cheaper stationery for use by Members.

Nick Harvey: The House authorities regularly re-tender the contract for the supply of stationery. During the contract term they have regular meetings with the contractor in order to monitor the service and costs, most recently in April 2006. Costs are presently lower than they were in 2002 and the contract is due to be re-let in competition in 2007. Members' bespoke stationery is high quality comprising specially designed and milled environmentally friendly paper and envelopes. The stationery contract includes the provision of a next day delivery anywhere in the UK and a unique management system which allows two accounts to be held for each Member—one for their own stationery and one for the bespoke stationery provided separately by the House.

DEFENCE

771 Search and Rescue Squadron

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the contribution which the 771 search and rescue squadron at Royal Naval Air Station makes to  (a) the protection of lives of those at sea and on the coast in western waters and Cornwall and the south west,  (b) the training of and experience available to naval pilots and crew and  (c) anti-terrorism activities.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 2 May 2006
	In contributing to Search and Rescue (SAR) in the coastal waters of the south west extending 200 miles out to sea, 771 Squadron of the Royal Navy was scrambled 211 times last year and rescued 154 people.
	As the Royal Navy's sole Sea King training unit, 771 Squadron trains aircrew for its own SAR duties at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose and for HMS Gannet SAR Flight at Prestwick Airport. Additionally, through duties within the SAR roster, pilots and aircrew of 771 Squadron gain extensive experience of SAR operations in diverse and challenging weather conditions.
	The Squadron is also committed to providing aircraft and crews to UK Homeland Defence which includes counter terrorism operations.

Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objection

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases have been heard by the Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objection in each of the last five years; and in how many of those cases the claims were upheld.

Tom Watson: The Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objection (ACCO) hears appeals against non-approval by the Service Authorities of applications for administrative discharge from the armed forces on grounds of conscientious objection. There have been no appeals to the ACCO in the last five years.

Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objection

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times the Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objection has met in each of the last five years.

Tom Watson: The Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objection (ACCO) is only required to meet when an application for discharge on grounds of conscientious objection is put before them. As there have been no cases brought before ACCO in the last five years there has been no requirement for it to meet.

Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objection

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the costs were of the Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objection in each of the last five years.

Tom Watson: As the Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objection (ACCO) has not sat in the last five years the associated cost of the committee for this period is nil.

Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objection

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures are in place to ensure that members of the armed forces are aware of the existence of the Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objection.

Tom Watson: Detailed guidance on the Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objection (ACCO) and procedures for making an appeal to the committee are available to all service personnel. Personnel informing their chain of command of a conscientious objection to military service will be provided with the appropriate advice and assistance.

Afghanistan

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations his Department has received from Army officers requesting an increase in the troop numbers allocated to Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 4 May 2006
	As I made clear in my answer of 1 March 2006,  Official Report, column 735 W, the force package that the UK will send to Southern Afghanistan meets the requirements identified by the relevant military planning staffs and has been fully endorsed by the chiefs of staff.
	Furthermore, during the previous Secretary of State's recent visit to theatre, the Commander of the British Forces again confirmed that he was content with the force package deploying. This package will be kept under review and adjusted were deemed necessary—as recently demonstrated by the announced extension to the GR7 Harrier deployment.

Afghanistan

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the eradication of poppy production on the security situation in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: The Afghan-led eradication of poppy has had little impact on the overall security in Helmand, which remains fragile.

Armed Forces (Voting)

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Electoral Commission concerning the provision of postal and proxy voting forms to members of the armed forces in advance of the Scottish parliamentary election in 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Watson: holding answer 8 May 2006
	Regular discussions are held with the Electoral Commission concerning Service voting issues, including the provision of postal and proxy voting forms to members of the armed forces. The Ministry of Defence and the Electoral Commission plan a joint electoral registration campaign in the autumn, in advance of the Scottish parliamentary election in 2007, which will include ensuring postal and proxy voting forms are available to all members of the armed forces.
	Postal and proxy voting forms for members of the armed forces are also available year round from the Electoral Commission's website.

Army Drugs Policy

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Defence 
	(1)  what Army disciplinary policy is on (a) soldiers and  (b) officers found to be (i) selling, (ii) distributing, (iii) in possession of and (iv) under the influence of class (1) A and (2) B drugs;
	(2)  in what circumstances a soldier might not be discharged automatically for possession of a class A drug; and how many times in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available  (a) a soldier and  (b) an officer found in such possession has been permitted to remain (i) at his or her rank and (ii) at his or her post in the Army.

Tom Watson: Soldiers and Officers found to be selling, distributing, possessing or under the influence of drugs are subject to disciplinary proceedings under the Army Act 1955. The Act states that after a finding of guilty in any drugs case, Commanding Officers are to apply for the discharge of the soldier under the provisions of Queens Regulations para 9.404. The regulations go on to state that retention in the Service should only be recommended in the most exceptional of extenuating circumstances.
	In the last 12 months no Soldiers or Officers have been allowed to stay in the Army after being found guilty of possession of class A drugs.

Army Drugs Policy

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many drugs tests on Army personnel have produced positive results in each quarter since January 2000, broken down by  (a) class of drugs and  (b) regiment concerned.

Tom Watson: Due to the length of the response, the information has been placed in the Library of the House. The results of tests under the CDT programme are recorded by unit and some of the regimental returns may include individuals from a different cap badge.
	The Army has in place a robust drug policy based on prevention, detection and disciplinary or administrative action. This triple approach aims to reduce drug taking in the Army as far as is possible in order to maintain the integrity of the force. CDT is a part of this approach by providing an active deterrent to drug taking. The Army tests 85 per cent. of the force annually for all controlled drugs and those who are caught are almost always discharged. Additionally, education and information strategies for substance misuse, including drugs and alcohol, have been developed and are implemented at all stages in the careers of soldiers wherever they are based and on at least an annual basis.

Astute Submarines

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there are plans to procure further Astute Class submarines beyond Astute, Ambush and Artful.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 8 May 2006
	Three Astute Class submarines are on order with BAE Systems, and further boat orders are currently being considered, subject to affordability. We are working with Industry as part of the Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) to achieve an affordable and sustainable submarine programme. In support of this we have ordered long-lead items for Boat Four.

Camp Breadbasket Inquiry

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the findings of the senior military officer appointed by General Sir Mike Jackson to examine the lessons from Camp Breadbasket in Iraq have been published; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The review, announced by General Sir Mike Jackson is still ongoing. The findings will be published when the review has concluded.

Central Wales Tactical Training Area

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flight movements were carried out at between 250 and 100 feet in the Central Wales Tactical Training Area between 1993 and 2005.

Adam Ingram: The amount of military low flying that takes place in the United Kingdom is better expressed in hours rather than by number of sorties, which can vary significantly from minutes to several hours. The information is only available for the last seven training years, as previous data was compiled in a different manner. The figures for the training year 2005-06 are shown in the following table and are due to be published in the next statement on the pattern of military low flying that will be made available in the Library of the House in summer 2006.
	The following information reflects the actual amount of operational low flying carried out between 100 and 250 feet within 7T, the tactical training area in mid-Wales. These statistics are consistent with the information provided annually in the statement on the pattern of military low flying.
	
		
			  Training year  Hours-minutes 
			 1999-00 38.8 
			 2000-01 25.21 
			 2001-02 30.23 
			 2002-03 33.12 
			 2003-04 32.12 
			 2004-05 27.15 
			 2005-06 13.49

Chaplains

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) men and  (b) women serving in each of the armed forces visited a Christian chaplain in each of the last 12 months.

Tom Watson: Chaplaincy is proactive and all chaplains make every effort to speak to as many of the personnel on their ship, unit or base as often as possible. Similarly, Service personnel often approach the Chaplain on an informal basis without an appointment. Most of this contact therefore goes unrecorded.
	This does not mean that the matters discussed are not important or the moral or pastoral care provided has no value. On the contrary, the ability to share fears or concerns, especially when deployed abroad and on operations, has particular value in the support of the moral component of fighting power.

Chaplains

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Muslim,  (b) Hindu,  (c) Sikh,  (d) Jewish and  (e) Buddhist chaplains there are in each of the armed forces.

Tom Watson: There is one Muslim, one Hindu, one Sikh, and one Buddhist chaplain to the armed forces. The post-holders are Ministry of Defence civil servants but are fully integrated into the armed forces chaplaincy organisation. In respect of the Jewish faith there is one honorary Jewish chaplain to the armed forces. These chaplains have tri-service responsibilities.

Civil Servants

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many non-industrial civil servants from his Department are based in Northern Ireland; and how many will be offered redundancy over the next 12 months.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 8 May 2006
	There are some 1,900 non-industrial Ministry of Defence (MOD) civil servants based in Northern Ireland as at 1 April 2006.
	We are still working to establish the full impact of the security normalisation programme on MOD civilian staff in Northern Ireland. Once this work has been completed, we will be consulting with the trade unions on implementation but, until then, it is not possible to assess the total number of MOD non-industrial staff that might become surplus over the next 12 months.

Colombia

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his Answer of 25 April 2006,  Official Report, columns 1021-2W, on Colombia, how much bespoke counter-narcotic assistance has been granted to Colombia, broken down by main budget heading.

Adam Ingram: UK armed forces have been able to provide some counter-narcotic assistance to the Colombian authorities as part of HMG's wider engagement with Colombia on counter-narcotics co-operation. However, I am withholding information on the bespoke training provided because its disclosure would be to the detriment of the safety of individuals, the prevention and detection of crime and international relations.

Colombia

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 18 April 2006 , Official Report, column 4W, on Colombia, if he will list the evaluation criteria for each type of training provided to the Colombian armed forces.

Adam Ingram: I will write to my right hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Colombia

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 4W, on Colombia, by what criteria the level and nature of UK military assistance and training to Colombia is reviewed.

Adam Ingram: The level and nature of our military assistance to Colombia is based, and regularly reviewed on: the identification of training needs in the Colombian armed forces through our discussions with the Colombian authorities; the capacity and expertise the UK has to provide such training; and our satisfaction that those undertaking it have not been involved in activities that violate human rights, aid internal repression nor are in collusion with illegal armed groups.

Courts Martial

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average delay has been in each of the last five years for military personnel accused of serious offences between being charged and appearing at courts martial

Des Browne: pursuant to the reply, 21 March 2006, Official Report, c. 360W
	A note should have appeared after the table. The table is repeated as follows with the note:
	
		
			  Days 
			   Royal Navy  Army  RAF 
			 2001 129 416 77 
			 2002 179 387 105 
			 2003 184 343 84 
			 2004 124 367 91 
			 2005 115 399 56 
			  Notes:  1. Royal Navy figure shows the average delay between charge and appearing at court martial and the year in which court martial was convened.  2. Army figure shows the average delay between the date of the offence and appearing at court martial and the year in which the court martial was convened.  3. Royal Air Force figure shows the average delay between the point that the case papers are received by the Court Administration Unit (which administers arrangements for the court martial) to the trial date and appearing at court martial and the cases that commenced in 2005.

Deepcut Barracks

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies his Department has carried out on the impact on armed forces recruitment of the Deepcut incidents since 2003.

Tom Watson: The armed forces have not undertaken any specific research or study into the impact of Deepcut on recruitment levels. Nevertheless, the Services continually monitor recruitment and seek to identify the reasons for any significant variation in the number of enquiries received. There is some evidence to suggest that the media coverage of Deepcut has been a factor in depressing encouragement from parents and teachers for those in the target audience to join.

Defence Export Services Organisation

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Ministers attended the Defence Export Services Organisation symposium on 22 March.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 4 May 2006
	My noble Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement participated in the Defence Export Services Organisation Symposium on 22 March.

Defence Export Services Organisation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of Defence Export Services Organisation staff, funded by the Government, work on defence export services to Saudi Arabia.

Adam Ingram: About one per cent of UK-government-funded staff of the Defence Export Services Organisation undertake work on the promotion of defence exports to Saudi Arabia. The costs of staff working on the Saudi armed forces project are met from a management fee received from the Saudi Arabian Government.

Defence Export Services Organisation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the work of the Defence Export Services Organisation and its relevance to the work of those departments on counter-proliferation and conflict resolution; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) of the Ministry of Defence implements Government policy in support of responsible defence exports consistent with Government commitments on export licensing policy. Responsibility for the Department's contribution to policy on counter-proliferation and conflict resolution rests with other areas of the Department, but DESO's activities are guided by the Government's policies on these subjects.

Disposal Contractors

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in relation to the case of arbitration referred to in the answer on 9 February 2004,  Official Report, column 1177W, when the disposal contractor first sought resolution of contractual differences; what attempts were made, and on what dates, by the Department to resolve matters through negotiation or mediation; and when legal process commenced.

Adam Ingram: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Eurofighter

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions officials from his Department have had with British Aerospace Systems concerning the impending order of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft by Saudi Arabia; and what effect he expects this contract to have on the delivery of Eurofighters to the RAF.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 3 May 2006
	There have been numerous, confidential discussions between MOD officials and BAE Systems representatives on a wide range of commercial and technical issues concerning the Typhoon programme and the implications of the proposed supply of the aircraft to Saudi Arabia. Negotiations continue between Her Majesty's Government, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and representatives of BAE Systems. Until these negotiations have concluded it is not possible to define precisely the implications for the Royal Air Force.

Iraq Service Medal

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British police officers have been seconded as advisers in Iraq since 2003; and how many of them have received an Operation Telic medal.

Tom Watson: Since 2003, there have been 35 Ministry of Defence Police officers seconded as advisers in Iraq. None of these officers has received an Operation Telic medal.

Iraq Service Medal

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many servicemen have served in Iraq for the qualifying period for receiving the Iraq service medal; and how many such medals have been awarded to servicemen.

Tom Watson: The information is not held in the format requested. However, as at 28 April 2006, 107,197 applications for the Iraq medal had been received from service personnel. Of these, 105,064 have been found eligible. 100,930 medals have been despatched and 4,134 are awaiting engraving and despatch.

Iraq Service Medal

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2006,  Official Report, column 20, on the Iraq service medal, what the nature is of the qualifications required for contractors to be awarded the Iraq service medal; what the procedure is for awarding the medal; how many further such awards are under review; and if he will list the companies involved.

Tom Watson: Ministry of Defence Contractors on Deployed Operations (CONDO) in Iraq are eligible to receive the Ministry of Defence Iraq Medal, provided they meet the stipulated eligibility criteria. Sub-contractors employed by CONDOs, not directly under contract by the MOD, are ineligible for the award of the MOD Iraq Medal. A list of companies who are MOD CONDOs is set out as follows:
	Ably Resource Solutions
	AEI
	AES
	Aldershot Legal Services
	Alenia Marconi Systems
	Alvis Vickers
	AMS Systems
	Anteon UK Ltd.
	Babcock Naval Services
	BAE Integrated System Technologies
	Barrett Europe Ltd.
	Circuit Electric AS
	Corinth Healthcare Services Ltd.
	EDS
	Fernau Avionics Ltd.
	Frontier Medical Services
	Fujitsu Services Ltd.
	G3 Systems Ltd.
	General Dynamics UK Ltd.
	Goodrich
	Harris Systems Ltd.
	Jones and Attwood Ltd.
	Kellogg Brown and Root
	Kudos (UK) Ltd
	L3 Communications
	Life Fitness
	Lightfoot Refrigeration Company
	Lockheed Martin
	MAN B&W Diesel Paxman
	Marshall SV
	McAlpine Business Services Ltd.
	Midland Medical Services
	Midway Road Tanker Services
	MSV
	Nowledgepool
	Orient Freight Group & Willie Betz Transport
	Paradigm Services Ltd.
	Park Air Ltd.
	PSP Safety Products Ltd.
	Quench
	Rima Alco
	ROFI Industries Ltd.
	Rolls-Royce
	Royal Surrey Health Trust
	Seabulk Offshore
	Seafast Logistics
	Serco
	SFS/3663 (MOD Prime Food Contractor)
	SSVC
	STN Atlas Electronik
	Supreme Food Service
	Swire Pacific Offshore
	Titan Airways
	TSC
	Thales Communications
	Thales Optronics Ltd.
	Turner Facilities Management
	Vosper Thornycroft
	Wiess
	Applications from CONDO personnel are verified against the eligibility criteria by the Ministry of Defence Permanent Joint Headquarters before being sent to the Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency, Ministry of Defence Medal Office, for the medal to be despatched to the recipient.
	At the end of June 2005, the Prime Minister announced that the Queen had agreed a special medal to recognise service by UK civilians in Iraq. The eligibility criteria for this second Iraq medal is currently being considered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and will be announced in due course.

Iraq Service Medal

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2006,  Official Report, column 20, on the Iraq service medal, if he will list the civilian journalists who have received Iraq medals; and which were  (a) applied for by the recipient and  (b) handed over in a medal ceremony.

Tom Watson: In June 2004, media organisations with employees who deployed as War Correspondents with United Kingdom forces during Operation Telic were informed of their entitlement to the award of the campaign medal in accordance with DCI Gen 170/04. As a result, the Ministry of Defence received 74 requests for the medal with clasp, of which 61 had been distributed to the recipients as at 4 May 2006. The remaining 13 are held pending collection or confirmation of required postal address. There has not been any awards ceremony, all medals were either sent via registered post or collected by hand from the MOD.
	The term war correspondent includes media support staff as well as journalists and broadcast reporters; thus camera/sound crew, producers, editors and other support staff who were part of the deployed team are included in the definition. These personnel are also entitled to the medal as detailed in the DCI and are included among the 74 requests made to the MOD.

Joint Strike Fighter

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what progress has been made on the Joint Strike Fighter project; and whether the project is on schedule;
	(2)  what progress has been made in the negotiations to secure the UK's rights to the source codes of the Joint Strike Fighter; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 8 May 2006
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 27 April 2006,  Official Report, columns 1270W, 1271W and 1272W, to the hon. Member for Wellingborough (Mr. Bone). Negotiations are currently underway to secure the information access we require for operational sovereignty. These are expected to conclude later this year.
	Substantial progress has been made in the System Development and Demonstration phase of the JSF programme with the recent completion of the Critical Design Review for the Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant. Progress in building development aircraft is on schedule with assembly of the first development Conventional Take Off and Landing variant now complete and first flight expected toward the end of this year. In conjunction with the US and the other international partners within the Joint Strike Fighter Programme, we are negotiating the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding for the co-operative Production, Support and Follow on Development Phase.

Michael White

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what disciplinary action has been taken against those involved in the death of Warrant Officer Michael White following his death in a live fire exercise near Newcastle, Co. Down in December 2001.

Tom Watson: No disciplinary action has been taken against any individual following the death of Warrant Officer Michael White.

Ministerial Activities

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) public speeches and  (b) official visits he has made since 5 May 2005; and how many letters he sent in this period.

Des Browne: My right hon. Friend the Member for Airdrie and Shotts (John Reid) made 15 public speeches and some 36 visits up to the end of February 2006. All speeches and visits were made in accordance with the Ministerial Code. He also replied to a total of 623 letters from right hon. and hon. Members over the period.

Private Americk Hayer

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what disciplinary action has been taken against the army instructor charged with grievous bodily harm upon Private Americk Hayer of the Royal Welch Fusiliers in the course of training at Warcop, Cumbria;
	(2)  what rank the officer was who informed the family of Private Americk Hayer of his hospitalisation in September 2005; what rank the officer was who visited him in hospital; when each event took place; and what the reason was for the time taken in each case;
	(3)  what steps have been taken to ensure that the Royal Welch Fusiliers tackled the racism and violence that led to assault and severe injuries for a trainee recruit in September 2005.

Tom Watson: The incident happened on 26 August 2005 at Warcop Cumbria and involved personnel from Somme Company, the Infantry Training Centre (Catterick) where Fusilier (Fus) Hayer was a phase 2 trainee. Immediately following the incident normal notifications were instigated. A notification of casualty signal was sent and attempts to contact Fus Hayer's mother were made. There was no reply from the contact number and the company commander, a major, left a message on her answering service asking her to contact him. The company commander spoke to Mr. Hayer, Fus Hayer's stepfather, on 27 August 2005.
	While Fus Hayer was in hospital, he was visited on 26 August 2005 by a captain and, on 30 August 2005, by a lieutenant. His company commander also spoke to him on the telephone on 28, 29 and 30 August 2005 as did his company sergeant major on 31 August. On his discharge from hospital on 2 September 2005, Fus Hayer was collected by the company sergeant major and returned to ITC Catterick.
	At a district court martial held in Aldershot from 4 to 5 April 2006 Corporal L Orgill, of the 2nd Battalion Royal Welsh (1st Battalion the Royal Regiment of Wales), was found not guilty of unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm. Internal administrative action is being considered.
	There is no evidence to suggest that there is an issue of institutionalised racism or violence within the 1st Battalion Royal Welsh (1st Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers).

RAF Rescue Missions

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average cost was of a rescue mission carried out by the RAF in 2005-06.

Adam Ingram: This information is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

RAF Rescue Missions

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what charge is made to the Scottish Ambulance Service for use of RAF search and rescue helicopters for air ambulance flights.

Adam Ingram: The current charge to the Scottish Ambulance Service for use of RAF search and rescue helicopters for medical evacuation is £2,018 plus VAT per hour.

RAF Rescue Missions

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions in each year since 1996 RAF search and rescue helicopters have been used for air ambulance flights in  (a) Orkney,  (b) Shetland and  (c) the Western Isles; and what the average cost was in each case.

Adam Ingram: The following table shows the number of occasions RAF search and rescue helicopters have been used for medical evacuation flights in the isles of Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles in each year since 1999.
	
		
			   Orkney Isles  Shetland Isles  Western Isles 
			 1999(1) 0 0 0 
			 2000 0 0 2 
			 2001 1 0 2 
			 2002 1 0 6 
			 2003 0 1 1 
			 2004 1 2 1 
			 2005 1 1 0 
			 2006 3 4 0 
			 Total 7 8 12 
			 (1) Data are only held from 24 August 1999 
		
	
	Figures are not held centrally for the average cost of helicopter flights and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Recruitment

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies spent on recruitment, search and selection agencies in each of the last five years.

Tom Watson: This information is not held centrally as the authority for such expenditure has been delegated to business areas for some years. The Ministry of Defence is currently undertaking a major review of its HR processes, including recruitment and aims to transform the current recruitment systems later this year. As part of this transformation process we have introduced a new data management system, HRMS, based on a Peoplesoft Human Resource management product. When the new system is fully operational, it is planned that data on how much the Department spends on recruitment, search and selection agencies will be available centrally. Until such time the cost involved in providing the information requested will continue to be disproportionate.

Redress of Grievance Cases

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many redress of grievance cases in each of the armed forces have resulted in  (a) a conviction and  (b) other forms of punishment in the last12 months.

Tom Watson: A redress of grievance is a complaint made by a service person on any matter relating to their service. Any criminal or disciplinary proceedings against other individuals that may result from an investigation into those grievances are separate matters and it is not possible to provide the information in the form that has been requested.

Evacuation/Hospital Treatment

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the UK hospitals  (a) where service personnel have been treated and  (b) for injuries sustained in theatre of active operations in each of the last five years; and how many such personnel each hospital treated in each year.

Des Browne: holding answer 27 April 2006
	In the last five years, Service personnel requiring hospital treatment in the UK, including those suffering from injuries sustained in theatre, have been treated at the following six MOD Hospital Units (MDHU):
	MDHU Birmingham (part of the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine), Selly Oak Hospital, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
	MDHU Derriford, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
	MDHU Frimley Park, Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
	MDHU Northallerton, Friarage Hospital, South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust
	MDHU Peterborough, Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	MDHU Portsmouth, Queen Alexandra's Hospital, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
	Our records show that the number of Service personnel treated at each MDHU in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  MDHU  Out/In-patients  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04 ( 1) 2004-05 
			 Birmingham Out (2)— 513 3,360 4,116 4,898 
			  In (2)— 511 563 1,024 1,175 
			 Derriford Out 1,886 1,809 2,142 2,155 2,258 
			  In 671 1,147 1,129 1,151 1,323 
			 Frimley Park Out (2)— 7,064 12,509 11,798 11,758 
			  In (2)— 891 1,476 1,327 1,442 
			 Northallerton Out 2,620 2,583 2,811 6,461 2,682 
			  In 1,570 1,455 1,648 1,725 1,800 
			 Peterborough Out 8,400 7,650 7,166 6,974 7,279 
			  In 1,802 1,477 1,584 1,508 1,712 
			 Portsmouth Out (2)— (2)— 5,952 5,322 4,942 
			  In (2)— (2)— 3,095 2,355 1,999 
			 (1 )2004-05 is the latest year for which figures are currently complete (2) Figures for this period are no longer held on file. To obtain them would require a manual trawl of the individual hospital records which could only be undertaken at disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	It is not possible to break down these figures by operational and non-operational injury/illness. Such information is not held centrally and to obtain it would require the examination of the individual medical records of every patient. These can only be viewed for non-clinical reasons with the express consent of the individual concerned, to protect patient confidentiality. To seek permission, and then to extract the information from the records, could only be done at disproportionate cost.
	Since 2001, the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine has been the main receiving unit for patients aeromedically evacuated from an operational theatre. If a long stay is expected, patients can be transferred to a hospital local to their home for less acute treatment, enabling them to be nearer to their family. Indeed, a significant proportion of service personnel requiring hospital treatment in the UK in general are treated, both as emergencies and electively, at other NHS hospitals. The decision to do this is based on relative waiting times and on convenience for the individual patient and the patient's family. Additionally, patients requiring more complex rehabilitation for musculo-skeletal conditions can be referred, where appropriate, to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court.

Evacuation/Hospital Treatment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the UK military hospitals that British military casualties are sent to after evacuation from  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan.

Tom Watson: There are no longer any stand-alone military hospitals in the United Kingdom. As part of the 1994 "Defence Costs Study", most of these were closed in the 1990s when it became clear that they no longer had sufficient patient volume and case mix to develop and maintain the skills of our medical personnel to the appropriate operational and NHS standards. They have been replaced by Ministry of Defence Hospital Units (MDHUs) located within University hospital Birmingham, South Tees, Frimley Park, Peterborough, Plymouth, and Portsmouth hospitals NHS trusts. Where necessary, we could also use the hospital facilities in Cyprus for treatment, or as a staging post prior to treatment in the UK.
	When casualties are aeromedically evacuated to the UK, the usual receiving hospital is the University hospital Birmingham. However, at times where there are a large number of casualties, the decision as to which hospital they should be treated at is made in conjunction with the Department of Health, based on clinical need and bed availability.

Staff Development

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost was of  (a) staff away days and  (b) staff team building exercises in his Department in each of the last three years.

Tom Watson: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Territorial Army

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what spending has been allocated to Territorial Army recruitment for  (a) the last three quarters of 2005,  (b) the first quarter of 2006 and  (c) 2006-07.

Tom Watson: It is not possible to provide comprehensive and accurate details on Territorial Army (TA) recruiting spend alone nor break it down into the detail requested. Spending on TA recruitment is a multi-layer activity involving disparate formations, units and agencies spanning a number of different budget areas, which allocate funds over a financial year, not by quarters.
	The overall national marketing spend for financial year (FY) 2005-06 for the Army (both Regular and TA) was £38.4 million and the national marketing budget for FY 2006-07 is £25.8 million. This includes £5 million and £2.3 million specifically earmarked for TA activities. However, the TA also benefits further from many elements of the rest of the national Army marketing budget, which are aimed at both the Regular Army and the TA. These encompass television and press advertising, the production of DVDs, leaflets, pamphlets and brochures as well as the overarching production and design costs.
	In addition, £12.9 million was spent on various TA recruiting (and in some cases retention) initiatives in FY 2005-06 and £12.5 million is allocated for 2006-07. These initiatives include the establishment of additional posts to further improve TA recruiting hierarchy and infrastructure, the establishment of Brigade Recruitment and Advisory Teams, improvement of recruiting Reception Centres and other ad hoc recruiting drives.

Territorial Army

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the main areas of the Territorial Army are identified  (a) as undermanned and  (b) for increased recruitment.

Tom Watson: Territorial Army (TA) manning has been under pressure for a number of years and the Army faces a growing challenge in recruiting sufficient officers and soldiers of an appropriate quality for all branches of the TA. Particular areas for recruiting focus on increasing the number of young officers joining the TA, medical technicians, specialist trades in the Royal Logistics Corps, communications technicians and other more general trade soldiers in the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Infantry and Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. A major change programme, known as Project One Army Recruiting is under way to improve recruiting into the Regular and Territorial Army by integrating the recruiting operations of the two organisations.

Type 45 Destroyers

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate the naval staff have made of the total number of Type 45 destroyers required to protect  (a) a carrier task group and  (b) an amphibious task group against aerial attack.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 3 May 2006
	There are many variables involved when determining the number of air defence ships required to defend a carrier or amphibious task group. These include the level of the threat, the various readiness levels of the ships, the level of multinational involvement and the scale of the operation. It is the capability provided by the ships, rather than their numbers, that determine the level of protection provided.

Type 45 Destroyers

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on employment at shipbuilders' yards of a decision not to build the seventh and eighth Type 45 destroyers.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 3 May 2006
	No decision has yet been made on ordering the seventh and eighth Type 45 destroyers. When approval is sought, all factors will be taken into account. In particular, any decision will be made in the context of our defence industrial strategy, a key element of which is to retain onshore the ability to deliver a number of strategic capabilities, including those required to build and integrate complex ships in the United Kingdom.
	To that end, we are working with industry to develop a common understanding of the core load required to sustain the industrial capabilities we identified as important to sustain in the DIS. We expect industry to restructure itself to improve its performance and address the fundamental issues of affordability and productivity to deliver the equipment we need; to sustain onshore the industrial capabilities we require for national security; and to provide a sustainable and profitable industry, with clearer employment prospects.

UFOs

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his Answer to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) of 28 March 2006,  Official Report, column 904W, on unidentified flying objects, on how many occasions there has been an assessment of evidence of risk to the integrity of UK airspace in the last five years; and what the job title is of desk officers assigned to this task.

Tom Watson: Over the last five years evidence of risk to the integrity of UK airspace from a reported unidentified flying object has been assessed on 12 occasions; in no case was there considered to be any actual risk. Analysis of reports for this purpose is made by the military desk officer responsible for airspace integrity within the UK operations branch.

CABINET OFFICE

Land Ownership (Shropshire)

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much land is owned in Shropshire by the Duchy of Lancaster.

Hilary Armstrong: The Duchy of Lancaster owns approximately one hectare of land in Shropshire.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Food Advertising Control

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will respond to the Ofcom proposals for greater controls on food advertising of foods high in fat, sugar and salt.

Shaun Woodward: The Government welcomes Ofcom's consultation on options to strengthen the rules on broadcast food promotion to children and we look forward to discussing the issues further with them in the light of the responses to their consultation.

Ministerial Cars (Fuel Costs)

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the fuel costs were for ministerial cars used by her Department in each of the last five years.

Richard Caborn: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Transport my hon. Friend the Member for South Thanet (Dr. Ladyman) on 27 April 2006,  Official Report, column 1226W.

Olympic Games 2012

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what progress has been made in providing a manual of facilities identified as suitable for training camps by National Olympic and Paralympic Committees for the Olympic games in 2012;
	(2)  what progress has been made in providing interested organisations with the guidelines and requirements for training camps for the run up to the Olympic games in 2012.

Richard Caborn: It is expected that guidelines and technical requirements for facilities and organisations will be available on the website of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic games (www.london2012.com) by the end of May. Facilities will shortly be invited to submit their interest in being assessed for inclusion in the manual.

Olympic Games 2012

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2006,  Official Report, columns 214-5W, on the London Olympics, what the most recent estimate made by KPMG is of the cost of the 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: The review of the cost of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games is still ongoing. Any revised estimates will be reported only when they have been agreed and when the cost review has been completed.

Public (Arts Organisation)

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many times the chief executive of the Arts Council of England, West Midlands, was invited to attend the Board of the arts organisation, the Public, in each of the last three years; and how many times she attended.

David Lammy: The Regional Executive Director of Arts Council England West Midlands has attended one board meeting in 2005. She has attended The Public's stakeholder meetings. Arts Council staff have attended at least 17 board meetings over the last three years. These have mostly been attended by the lead officer or the Director of Arts.

Public (Arts Organisation)

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who the lead officer was from the Arts Council responsible for liaison on the construction of the building to house the Arts Organisation, the Public based in West Bromwich.

Richard Caborn: The chief executive of Arts Council England, Peter Hewitt, is the accounting officer for the organisation.

Schools Strategy

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the National Strategy for Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links; how much her Department has  (a) allocated and  (b) plans to allocate to the initiative; and if she will list those schools which will take part in the initiative.

Richard Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Education and Skills are working together to deliver the National School Sport Strategy. From 2003-06 DCMS invested £150 million in the strategy, and between 2006-08 the Department has allocated another £89 million. From September 2006 all maintained schools will be part of a School Sport Partnership.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum/Immigration

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers who were normally resident in  (a) Peterborough and  (b) Cambridgeshire in the 12 months after entering the United Kingdom have been (i) refused asylum and (ii) removed from the United Kingdom in each year since 1999; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 8 May 2006
	Statistics on the location of asylum seekers who were refused asylum and removed from the UK since 1999 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by the examination of individual case records.

Asylum/Immigration

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what post-return monitoring is in place to ensure that all returns to Iraq are safe and sustainable.

Tony McNulty: Returnees under the voluntary assisted return and reintegration programme—VARRP—are only monitored in so far as they have approached the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to receive counselling and reintegration assistance. Initial counselling begins upon arrival at the port of entry and further counselling takes place post-arrival, which ranges from assistance with social reinsertion and administrative procedures. Of those who have been monitored through their use of reintegration assistance it has been reported that there is no evidence that returnees have found themselves in danger or under threat of persecution due to their being returnees.
	There is no post-return monitoring or sustainability programme for those persons who choose not to return as part of an assisted voluntary return package and whose subsequent removal from the UK is enforced.
	However, removal will only be carried out where it is considered both appropriate and safe to do so and only after a full assessment of each case has been thoroughly conducted.

Asylum/Immigration

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures and safeguards are in place to ensure that all returning Iraqi asylum seekers reach their home village or town safely.

Tony McNulty: In respect of voluntary returns through Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, returnees assisted by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are met upon arrival by the IOM. Arrangements are in place at both airports which allow the IOM and their representatives unrestricted access, enabling staff to provide assistance to returnees from the moment they land. They are assisted through immigration, baggage retrieval and customs formalities.
	The IOM arranges with local transportation companies in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah for returnees to be transported via bus or car to their final destination within the three Northern Governorates and their immediate vicinity, this means Kirkuk and Mosul. Arrival is confirmed by the transportation company. For returns through Baghdad, passengers are met at the airport by IOM staff. Only one company is able to provide transportation from Baghdad International airport. The IOM arranges for the returnees to be taken to Baghdad's main land transportation hubs where onward travel is organised either by taxi or bus.
	For enforced returns, there is clearly a difficult position in those parts of Iraq most affected by insurgent action, but it is not accepted that this applies to all areas.
	Returns are taken forward on a case by case basis and are only enforced to areas assessed as sufficiently stable and where the Home Office is satisfied that the individual concerned will not be at risk of persecution or in need of humanitarian protection. The 15 individuals who were removed on an enforced return flight to Erbil on 20 November 2005 were offered onward transport to their home town or village.

Asylum/Immigration

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken  (a) to improve and  (b) to extend the statistics published on those detained under immigration legislation powers; if he will take steps to provide annual data showing the total number of people who have sought asylum, at what stage of the asylum process the individual was detained, the duration and location of their detention and any transfer across the immigration detention estate; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Period statistics covering those leaving detention were published for the first time in February 2006 on the Home Office's Research Development and Statistics website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html. Statistics on persons leaving detention during July to September 2005, broken down by those who have sought asylum at some stage, place of last detention and the length of sole detention were published in the quarterly asylum bulletin.
	There are currently no plans to publish statistics on transfers across the immigration detention estate. It is not possible to say which stage of the asylum process people are at when they are detained. The decision to detain is made on a case by case basis and may be appropriate in one or more of the following circumstances: to effect removal; while a person's identity and claim is being established; where a person is unlikely to comply with the conditions of temporary admission or release; or where the application is capable of being considered quickly.
	Detailed official statistics on the asylum process are quality assured and published by the Immigration Research and Statistics Service (IRSS). Further information about National Statistics can be found at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/default.asp. The full range of immigration statistics published by the Home Office, including the frequency of publication, has recently been addressed in an independent review of the Control of Immigration Statistics publications.
	An early findings paper was published in August 2005, which can be found on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/statsprog1.html. The Home Office is not bound to accept the recommendations, many of which would require additional resources, and is currently considering its response to the review.

Asylum/Immigration

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what alternatives he has considered to the detention of children in immigration detention centres.

Tony McNulty: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to a similar question of 26 April 2006,  Official Report, column 312.

Asylum/Immigration

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether  (a) Dungavel and  (b) Oakington Detention Centre is being used to hold immigration detainees from Northern Ireland; and what consultation took place on the proposal to hold such detainees in those centres.

Tony McNulty: There have been some recent developments in respect of immigration detention in Northern Ireland. Until early 2006 it had been the case that 'where it was necessary to detain individuals in Northern Ireland' men were accommodated in the Working Out Unit, Crumlin Road, Belfast and women were accommodated at HMYOC Hydebank Wood.
	It is now the case that individuals in Northern Ireland who are detained under Immigration Act powers are no longer held in Northern Ireland. Such individuals are transferred to a detention facility in Great Britain either on the day of detention or within 24 hours. In the majority of cases individuals will, initially, be detained at Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre. Individuals whose asylum applications are straightforward and capable of being decided quickly may be held at Oakington Reception Centre.
	While there are occasions when consultation with outside bodies is appropriate, there will be other occasions, of which this was one, where such consultation would delay changes to operational policy and practice that can and should be made quickly. In this case, consultation would simply have served to prolong the routine use of prison places in Northern Ireland for detainees beyond the point that it was operationally necessary to do so. This would not have been desirable.

Asylum/Immigration

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 365W, on UK immigration procedures, how many of those listed in the table have been included in the number of those recorded as removals and voluntary departures of asylum seekers.

Tony McNulty: None of the persons listed in the previous table provided, have been recorded as removals or voluntary departures of asylum seekers as they have not been granted leave to enter the United Kingdom, and are handed straight over to the French authorities.

Business Rates/Council Tax

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been imprisoned for non-payment of  (a) business rates and  (b) council tax in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on numbers of prisoners held under non-criminal categories of imprisonment is to be found in table 7.10 at the website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/omcs.html for the Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2004. Figures can be found for all years since 1993 for the categories community charge/council tax, and rates. The data are as obtained from the prison IT system.

Child Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 2 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1406W, on child trafficking, whether the information requested is collected at a local level by  (a) local authorities,  (b) the police and  (c) the Immigration and Nationality Directorate.

Tony McNulty: Neither local authorities, police nor IND currently have specific requirements or associated standards and processes for such information to be collected at a local level. While some local recording may take place, it is not systematic. The Home Office is working in collaboration with DFES, local authorities, Local Safeguarding Children Boards and relevant voluntary organisations to address these issues. Among other steps we are establishing dedicated social work teams at ports and asylum screening units.
	These teams will benefit from additional training and close working relationships with the Police and Immigration Service. The teams will ensure that children who need safeguarding will be properly referred to statutory agencies, and the information about them will be captured on the National Register of Unaccompanied Children and in due course the DFES Information Sharing Index.

Child Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 2 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1406W, on child trafficking, if he will take steps to establish a system which will collect information about children who have been trafficked or smuggled from  (a) EU countries and  (b) the rest of the world.

Tony McNulty: Information on the steps being taken to establish a system to collect information about children who have been trafficked or smuggled to the UK has been provided in answer to the hon. Gentleman's related PQ 68551. The Home Office is working in collaboration with both the EU and G8 countries to combat trafficking and the following outlines current actions:
	 (a) EU countries
	The EU action plan on combating and preventing trafficking in human beings, which was agreed during the UK presidency, contains a number of specific actions focusing on children, including:
	"holding a seminar on sharing best practice regarding the identification of children at risk, in particular unaccompanied minors;
	improving the strategic and tactical intelligence picture on trafficking in human beings and enabling an intelligence-led approach;
	ensuring that Frontex (the EU's border agency) work on trafficking takes into account the particular circumstances of the most vulnerable victims, in particular children and women.
	"
	The plan also commits member states to sharing lists of priority origin and transit countries and the most frequently encountered routes, as well as improving knowledge on the scale and nature of trafficking in human beings.
	 (b) The rest of the world
	The G8 are committed to tackling the threat of human trafficking and has recently accepted the UK's questionnaire and concept paper on human trafficking and smuggling which was proposed during our presidency. The concept paper and questionnaire will serve to add value to the G8's position on immigration crime and aims to highlight where a joined-up international approach on human trafficking will be most influential by looking at current trends, routings and areas of best practice.

Criminal Justice Act

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the custody plus and related provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 will be brought into force; what period of notice will be given before their introduction; and what transitional provisions his Department has planned.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Criminal justice agencies have already been advised that the Government are planning to introduce custody plus in the autumn of 2006. We are currently considering what transitional arrangements may be required.

Criminal Justice and Court Services Act

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which provisions within the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000  (a) have not yet come into force and  (b) have been replaced (i) prior to and (ii) after coming into force.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	 Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000—commencement
	The following tables detail the Sections and Schedules to the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 which are repealed, not currently in force, or partially in force:
	
		
			  Section  Subsection  Status 
			 17  Repealed 
			 29  Not in force 
			 39  Repealed 
			 47-50  Repealed 
			 51  Repealed?never in force 
			 52  Partially in force 
			 53  Repealed?never in force 
			 54-55  Repealed 
			 59  Not in force 
			 61  Not in force 
			 63  Repealed 
			 66  Repealed 
			 67-69  Repealed 
			 71 (5) Not in force 
			 74  Partially in force 
			 75  Not in force 
		
	
	
		
			  Schedule  Paragraph  Status 
			 5  Repealed 
			 7 1-3 Repealed 
			  5 Not in force 
			  7-11 Not in force 
			  13 Not in force 
			  15 (l)(a)-(d) Not in force 
			  15 (D(f)-(g) Not in force 
			  16-17 Not in force 
			  18 (l)-(2) Not in force 
			  18 (3)(a)-(b) Not in force 
			  18 (3)(c)(ii) Not in force 
			  20 Not in force 
			  22 (l)(a)-(d) Not in force 
			  22 (l)(f)-(g) Not in force 
			  23-24 Not in force 
			  25 (l)-(2) Not in force 
			  25 (3)(a)-(b) Not in force 
			  25 (3)(c)(ii) Not in force 
			  27 Not in force 
			  29 (l)(a)-(d) Not in force 
			  29 (l)(f)-(g) Not in force 
			  30-31 Not in force 
			  32 (l)-(2) Not in force 
			  32 (3)(a)-(b) Not in force 
			  32 (3)(c)(ii) Not in force 
			  33-36 Not in force 
			  39 Not in force 
			  47 Repealed 
			  51-53 Repealed 
			  54-56 Not in force 
			  59-60 Not in force 
			  62-70 Not in force 
			  76 Not in force 
			  77 Repealed?never in force 
			  83-86 Repealed 
			  98 Not in force 
			  101 Prospectively repealed?not in force 
			  102 Prospectively repealed 
			  104 Repealed?never in force 
			  105 Repealed 
			  106-107 Repealed?never in force 
			  108-109 Not in force 
			  111(b) Repealed?never in force 
			  112-115 Not in force 
			  119 Not in force 
			  133 Repealed 
			  134 Not in force 
			  139-140 Repealed?never in force 
			  149 Not in force 
			  161-162 Repealed 
			  164 Partially in force 
			  165 Repealed?never in force 
			  166 Repealed 
			  167 Repealed?never in force 
			  168-169 Repealed 
			  170 Repealed?never in force 
			  171 Repealed 
			  172 Repealed?never in force 
			  173 Not in force 
			  176 Not in force 
			  177 Repealed?never in force 
			  178 Not in force 
			  179 Repealed?never in force 
			  180-188 Not in force 
			  189 Repealed?never in force 
			  190-194 Not in force 
			  196 Partially in force 
			  197 (a) Not in force 
			  197 (c) Repealed?never in force 
			  197(d)-(e) Not in force 
			  197 (f) Partially in force 
			  197 (g)(ii) Repealed 
			  198-200 Repealed 
			  201 (2)(b) Not in force 
			  201 (3) Not in force 
			  202 (2)(b) Not in force 
			  202 (3) Not in force 
			  203 (2) Partially in force 
			  203 (5) Not in force 
			  204 Not in force 
			  211 Not in force 
			 8  Partially in force

Criminal Records Bureau

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people are the subject of multiple Criminal Records Bureau clearance applications;
	(2)  how many people have renewed their Criminal Records Bureau clearance following expiry.

Joan Ryan: The information sought by the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham is not available. Criminal Records Bureau's standard and enhanced disclosures do not carry any specific period of validity. They are designed to be used by an employer or licensing authority at the point of recruitment for a specific position. With certain exceptions, CRB checks are not mandatory and the decision to undertake them for eligible positions rests with the employer or licensing authority, as does the decision to periodically renew checks on staff, bearing in mind any legal and contractual obligations.

Criminal Records Bureau

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to alter the Criminal Records Bureau registration system following the Bichard Inquiry recommendations.

Joan Ryan: In 2004 the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) undertook an exercise to evaluate the compliance of Registered Bodies with the Bureau's Code of Practice. This identified risks to the Disclosure service posed by an increasing and remote Registered Body network. Although the CRB and the Bichard Inquiry recognise the vital role of Registered Bodies in the Disclosure service, both share concern over the high numbers and proficiency of the existing Registered Body network.
	The CRB will consequently reduce the number of Registered Bodies to work with those that remain to make the network more professional and more experienced in the Disclosure process. This will allow the CRB to ensure that the network of users is fully proficient in the security and policies of the CRB. A minimum threshold of 100 applications per year, per Registered Body has been set. The CRB will provide advice, guidance and support to organisations that do not meet the volume criteria about how they can access the Disclosure service in the future before their registration is cancelled.
	The CRB has developed an alternative distribution network, through the Umbrella Body (UB) network to ensure cancelled organisations maintain full access to the Disclosure service. The CRB has been working closely with the existing UB network to ensure that they are able to provide an effective, robust and efficient service and have the capacity to absorb the increased volume of applications from new and cancelled organisations.
	The CRB have developed a 'controlled roll out programme' to ensure that UB's can manage any increased volume with ease. The CRB have also been encouraging those organisations that remain part of the Registered Body network to become UBs. The UBs are able to offer a great deal of experience in handling and processing CRB checks that can also pay dividends in ensuring that the check is completed as quickly as possible. In addition, improved UB web pages have been developed and implemented on the CRB website, which provides an enhanced search facility to enable eligible organisations to find a suitable Umbrella Body.

Dental Care (Prisoners)

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on dentistry treatment provided for inmates of prisons in the UK in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by prison establishment; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 3 May 2006
	In England, resources previously held by the Home Office for the dental care of prisoners have been devolved to those primary care trusts (PCTs) that host a publicly managed prison. This forms part of their general allocation to commission appropriate healthcare services for prisoners. These resources are not ring fenced, and PCTs as part of their commissioning role are able to move resources from one healthcare service to another to meet their specific local needs. It is therefore not possible for us to identify centrally how much is spent on dentistry in prisons.
	The dental services provided to prisoners are an integral part of primary dental services under the new contractual arrangements for national health service dentistry. PCTs are required to provide all dental services required to meet the reasonable needs of their resident population, including prisoners. In Wales, these resources have been devolved to local health boards. Arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland are a matter for the Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland Office respectively.

Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when sections 17 to 21 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 will be brought into force.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is intended that these provisions should be implemented by the end of this year.

Drug Confiscations (Prisons)

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the quantities of each drug that have been confiscated in prisons in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information my hon. Friend has requested is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The Prison Service is improving its data collection and is shortly to begin implementation of a new system called CNOMIS for recording gathering data.

Ex-prisoners

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the involvement of crime reduction partnerships in the resettlement of ex-prisoners.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The importance of involving crime reduction partnership agencies in the resettlement of offenders is recognised in the NOMS regional strategies to reduce re-offending as well as nationally in the Government's Reducing Re-offending Delivery Plan. In November 2005 Baroness Scotland launched three alliances, including the Civic Alliance which set out how NOMS can work with local authorities and local communities to reduce re-offending.
	These are now being rolled out across the nine regions and Wales by Regional Offender Managers (ROMs). The ROM in the East Midlands, along with the Local Government Association and Society of Local Government Chief Executives, is leading a demonstration project on how NOMS will work with local Strategic Partnerships and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) through local area agreements to reduce re-offending in local communities. To date no evaluation of the effectiveness of CDRPs' involvement specifically in the resettlement of ex-prisoners has been completed. However, work has recently begun in London to examine the operation of a scheme aimed at meeting the needs of prisoners resettling in eight London boroughs.
	The scheme—the London Resettlement Pilot—forms part of the London Resettlement Strategy published in September 2005. The Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in the eight boroughs (Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Brent, Barnet, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Harrow and Ealing) are working with Wormwood Scrubs prison in west London. They have nominated local strategic leaders who are working to develop enhanced and co-ordinated responses to the needs of resettling prisoners. An action research project has been commissioned which will report in summer 2006 on the resettlement pilot and will include an assessment of progress being made through working with local partnerships in this way.
	An evaluation is also currently underway of the impact of Prolific and other Priority Offenders Programme (PPO), which is being implemented by CDRPs and local Strategic Partnerships. One strand of the programme is aimed at rehabilitating and resettling PPOs who are in custody or serving sentences in the community, through closer working between all relevant agencies and continued post-sentence support. A final report on this work is due in autumn 2006.

Foreign Prisoners

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what prison programmes there are to assist the rehabilitation of foreign national prisoners.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Prison Service offers a range of opportunities to develop the skills and meet the needs of prisoners including foreign nationals. These include education and training, specialist programmes, work and resettlement courses. English for speakers of other languages is provided where that need is present, and may have to be undertaken prior to engagement in other interventions.

Identity Cards

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated into the effectiveness of identification cards and associated data in (i) thwarting acts of terror and (ii) helping identify perpetrators; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ryan: We have carefully evaluated the effectiveness of identity cards in contributing to preventing and disrupting terrorism, and in identifying those engaged in terrorism. For reasons relating to national security, it is not possible to go into details. The Security Services have said that an ID card will help. Eliza Manningham-Buller, Director General of the Security Services, said:
	"Widespread use of false documents is an essential aspect of terrorist activities. Al-Qaeda's own training manual requires its operatives to acquire false identities to hide their terrorist activities. ID Cards will make it more difficult for terrorists to operate".
	In the translation of the Al-Qaeda training manual (found by the Manchester Police during a search of an Al-Qaeda member's home) it states in the Third Lesson relating to Counterfeit Currency and Forged Documents:
	"The brother who has special work status (commander, communication link,...) should have more than one identity card and passport. He should learn the contents of each, the nature of the [indicated] profession, and the dialect of the residence area listed in the document."

Informants (HMP Wandsworth)

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints have been made about the use of illegal informants at HM Prison Wandsworth; what action was taken in each case; what disciplinary sanctions resulted; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is not Prison Service policy to discuss the use of informants in individual establishments.

International Arrest Warrants

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 3 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1619W, on international arrest warrants, if he will place in the Library copies of the written representations from the Israeli Government.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is not our practice to deposit in the Library representations received from foreign Governments in confidence.

Israel

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 2 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1416W, on which dates his officials met representatives of Israel; who those representatives were; and what written submissions those representatives presented on the issuing of arrest warrants in international cases.

Joan Ryan: Discussions took place with the Minister Plenipotentiary from the Israeli embassy on 10 April this year. The written representations concerned the potential for arrest warrants to be sought against Israeli citizens and members of the Israeli defence forces visiting the United Kingdom.

John Joseph Tourney

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken by the Criminal Cases Review Commission to comply with the Order of the Divisional Court in the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland made on 22 June 2005 in connection with the application by John Joseph Tourney for judicial review of a decision by the Commission.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is not the practice to comment on the outcome of individual cases. The hon. Member's letter of 19 April 2006. In their letter they set out their consideration of the case and how they have complied with the Order of the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland.

Murderers

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of convicted murderers were on  (a) probation,  (b) early release and  (c) parole when they committed their offence in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information is not available in the precise form requested. Data on the number of murder convictions in England and Wales from 2000-04 can be found in the table. Individuals are subject to probation supervision when there is a statutory requirement following a community penalty or release from a custodial sentence (including parole and automatic conditional release). Data on the number of individuals who were convicted of murder while being supervised by the Probation Service can be found in the table.
	The information is not available to show how many of those offenders who were convicted of murder when being supervised by the Probation Service, were serving community sentences or were on licence following release from custody. Until 2004, the data on the number of individuals convicted of a serious offence while subject to probation supervision was collected under the Serious Incident Reporting (SIR) process by calendar year. From 1 April 2004, when the SIR process was replaced by the Serious Further Offence process, data on the number of murders and other serious offences committed by offenders being supervised by the Probation Service began to be collected by business year. Between 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2005, 26 offenders being supervised by the Probation Service were convicted of murder.
	
		
			  Data on the number of murder convictions in England and Wales from 2000-04 
			   Total number of murder convictions( 1) 
			 2000 261 
			 2001 285 
			 2002 324 
			 2003 277 
			 2004 361 
			 (1 ) Source  Office for Criminal Justice Reform 
		
	
	
		
			  Data on the umber of individuals convicted of murder whilst under probation supervision 
			   Murder convictions by individuals under supervision by the Probation Service( 1) 
			 2000 24 
			 2001 26 
			 2002 37 
			 2003 29 
			 (1)  Source  RDS NOMS Offender Caseload Statistics

National Offender Management Service

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what areas of the prison estate the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has taken over direct responsibility.

Gerry Sutcliffe: NOMS is responsible for all areas of the prison estate.

Passports

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which retail outlets are allowed to hold passport application forms.

Joan Ryan: Passport application forms are available from those Post Office branches and Worldchoice travel agents that offer the passport "Check and Send" service. There are around 2,800 such outlets across the UK. Application packs are also available from the Passport Adviceline, the Application Form Request line, and the Identity and Passport Service website. Application packs are regularly reviewed and updated. These arrangements ensure that passport applicants are able to obtain up to date application packs, and also allow for the efficient control of stock.

Passports

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to reduce the number of passports lost by the UK Passport Service since the introduction of the use of the special mail service.

Joan Ryan: holding answer 8 May 2006
	The Identity and Passport Service is working closely with SMS to reduce losses in the delivery process. The following actions have been taken:
	"To deal with the threat of courier attacks, delivery routes and delivery times are changed regularly, and double manning used.
	Security at SMS branches has been strengthened, and vehicle tracking improved.
	A higher standard of secure delivery for 80 per cent. of addresses.
	New technology is being deployed to improve location of addresses, and evidence of delivery.
	As there is a clear audit trail for the delivery of each passport, every loss is fully investigated including to check whether postcode details have been correctly captured, and performance and procedural improvements made."
	Where losses are confirmed, the passport details are recorded on IPS's lost and stolen passport database to prevent misuse. Also, all passports contain security features to prevent counterfeiting and forgery, and to recognise it when it is attempted. Since the introduction of secure delivery in February 2004, secure mail services have successfully delivered nearly 13 million items 98 per cent. on the next day.

Passports

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fraudulent passport applications were made in each of the last 10 years; and how many of those applications involved  (a) identity theft and  (b) false declarations where the individual was otherwise entitled to a passport.

Joan Ryan: holding answer 4 May 2006
	Figures for the number of fraudulent passport applications detected by the Identity and Passport Service since 1996 are set out in the table.
	
		
			   Number 
			 1996 1,164 
			 1997 1,880 
			 1998 1,368 
			 1999 1,596 
			 2000 1,484 
			 2001 2,419 
			 2002 1,973 
			 2003 1,571 
			 2004 1,880 
			 2005 1,126 
		
	
	IPS introduced in March 2005 a new and comprehensive fraud casework and management information system. This is used for the progression of cases of suspected fraud and the collection, collation and analysis of information relating to passport fraud. Prior to the introduction of this system information relating to frauds detected was collated through manual processes and the analysis of breakdowns of types of fraudulent applications was not available. Figures relating to fraudulent applications involving identity theft and false declarations where the individual was otherwise entitled to a passport, for the period April 2005 to January 2006 are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Deceased ID 76 
			 Fictitious ID 257 
			 Genuine ID 286 
			 False Statements 141 
			 Countersignature Fraud 148 
			 Other 400 
			 Total 1,308

Passports

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dispatched passports have been reported lost since February 2004; and what estimate he has made of the number of such lost passports that may have been stolen.

Joan Ryan: holding answer 8 May 2006
	The estimated number of passports lost whilst in the delivery process for the period February 2004 to January 2006 is 1,561. Of these, 308 are known to have been lost as a consequence of robbery or theft, or lost whilst being delivered by secure mail services. The remainder are passports that have been misposted by couriers, and not subsequently recovered.

Points System

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the weighting of earnings is for the purposes of the proposed points system for entry as a highly skilled migrant for applicants from  (a) India,  (b) Pakistan,  (c) Nigeria and  (d) Ghana.

Tony McNulty: Highly skilled migrants will enter under tier 1 of the proposed points-based system and receive points for a number of attributes including their previous earnings. Under tier 1 of the proposed points-based system high-skilled migrants will receive points for a number of attributes they can demonstrate, including their previous earnings. As with the current High Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP), salaries earned overseas will be converted at an appropriate rate so that we can equate the earnings of equivalent workers between countries which have different income levels. The precise details of the points-based system, including salary conversion rates, are being developed and will be announced in advance of our implementation of the points-based system.

Prisons

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks are in place in prisons to ensure that when halal meat is offered to prisoners as an alternative, non-halal meat is also made available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Guidance has been issued to all prisons that when a halal meat or poultry menu choice is offered an alternative non-halal meat or poultry choice must be provided. The halal choice must be clearly identified on the published menu. Aside from local management requirements to follow this guidance regular checks are made by area catering managers.

Prisons

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long each prison governor had served as governor as at 31 March 2006; who the governor of each prison is; what relevant specialist qualifications he or she holds; what the details are of his or her career to date; on what date each joined the Prison Service; at which prisons each has served as a governor; when each is expected to retire; who has been appointed to replace him or her; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The table contains a list of current governors-in-charge of each public sector Prison Service establishment together with their length of tenure at their current establishment. The names of Directors of contracted establishments is also included. All other information requested, including that considered personal information for which individual consent to release is required, can only be obtained at disproportionatecost. Information on the career histories and personal details of Directors of contracted (privately) managed establishments is not routinely collected and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Table showing the tenures of governing governors/directors of prisons in England and Wales 
			  Establishment  Governing governor  Years in this post at 31 March 2006 
			 Acklington Mick Lees 0.2 
			 Albany Mel Jones 2.2 
			 Ashwell Chris Di Paolo 2.0 
			 Askham Grange Alec McCrystal 0.7 
			 Aylesbury David Kennedy 3.2 
			 Bedford Paul Kempster 0.5 
			 Belmarsh Claudia Sturt 0.5 
			 Birmingham Mike Shann 5.5 
			 Blackenhurst Ferdi Parker 2.8 
			 Blantyre House Dave Atkinson 0.1 
			 Blundeston Teresa Clarke 2.9 
			 Brinsford Tom Watson 4.0 
			 Bristol Suzy Dymond-White 0.9 
			 Brixton John Podmore 3.2 
			 Brockhill Amalgamated with Hewell Grange—see below  
			 Buckley Hall Susan Morrison 4.2 
			 Bullingdon Sue Saunders 3.9 
			 Bullwood Hall Mukhtar Poselay 1.6 
			 Camp Hill Bob Bennett 3.2 
			 Canterbury Chris Bartlett 0.1 
			 Cardiff Paul Tidball 2.8 
			 Castington Bill Shaw 0.1 
			 Channings Wood Jeannine Hendrick 1.0 
			 Chelmsford Nigel Smith 1.0 
			 Coldingley Paul McDowell 2.2 
			 Cookham Wood Ed Tullett 2.3 
			 Dartmoor Serena Watts 0.8 
			 Deerbolt Alan Tallentire. 3.3 
			 Dorchester Steve Holland 4.0 
			 Dover Val Whitecross 3.4 
			 Downview Ian Murray 0.6 
			 Drake Hall John Huntington 2.6 
			 Durham Sandy McEwan 0.9 
			 East Sutton Park Amalgamated with Cookham Wood—see above  
			 Eastwood Park Tim Beeston 4.2 
			 Edmunds Hill Norma King 1.6 
			 Elmley Helen Rinaldi 0.1 
			 Erlestoke Doug Moon 1.0 
			 Everthorpe Gary Monaghan 1.2 
			 Exeter Mark Flinton 0.8 
			 Featherstone Mike Bolton 2.0 
			 Feltham Andrew Cross 2.3 
			 Ford Fiona Radford 2.4 
			 Foston Hall Paddy Scriven 9.2 
			 Frankland Phil Copple 3.5 
			 Full Sutto Bob Mullen 2.8 
			 Garth Bob McColm 2.7 
			 Gartree Julia Morgan 0.8 
			 Glen Parva Brian Edwards 2.8 
			 Gloucester David Chalmers 5.0 
			 Grendon Peter Bennett 3.5 
			 Guys Marsh Barry Greenberry 2.2 
			 Haslar Julia Killick 0.1 
			 Haverigg Clive Chatterton 0.2 
			 Hewell Grange Alison Gomme 2.0 
			 Highdown Peter Dawson 0.8 
			 Highpoint Sue Doolan 1.6 
			 Hindley Ray Hill 0.5 
			 Hollesley Bay Ken Kan 1.2 
			 Holloway Tony Hassall 1.7 
			 Holme House Matt Spencer 0.2 
			 Hull Steve Tilley 1.4 
			 Huntercombe Kevin Leggett 0.3 
			 Kingston John Robinson 2.8 
			 Kirkham Steve Lawrence 2.2 
			 Kirklevington Alan Richer 3.8 
			 Lancaster Derek Harrison 2.4 
			 Lancaster Farms Paul Holland 0.6 
			 Latchmere House Ruth Kringle 0.9 
			 Leeds Ian Blakeman 2.1 
			 Leicester Danny Mulligan 0.2 
			 Lewes Eoin McLennan-Murray 2.5 
			 Leyhill Richard Booty 5.0 
			 Lincoln Lynne Saunders 2.0 
			 Lindholme Martin Ward 2.9 
			 Littlehey David Taylor 0.6 
			 Liverpool Alan Brown 0.5 
			 Long Lartin Nick Leader 2.0 
			 Low Newton Andrea Whitfield 1.1 
			 Maidstone Jane Galbally 4.0 
			 Manchester Chris Sheffield 3.1 
			 Moorland Jacqui Tilley 2.0 
			 Morton Hall Damian Evans 1.8 
			 New Hall Sara Snell 3.3 
			 North Sea Camp Norman Warwick 1.0 
			 Northallerton Bill Shaw 2.8 
			 Norwich James Shanley 1.3 
			 Nottingham Wendy Sinclair-Gieben 1.5 
			 Onley Alison Perry 2.0 
			 Parkhurst Carole Draper 0.1 
			 Pentonville Gary Deighton 1.1 
			 Portland Steve Twinn 3.1 
			 Preston Richard Vince 0.2 
			 Ranby Louise Taylor 0.2 
			 Reading Pauline Bryant 1.9 
			 Risley Paul Norbury 3.9 
			 Rochester John Wilson 0.1 
			 Send Brian Ritchie 3.2 
			 Shepton Mallet Nick Evans 0.9 
			 Shrewsbury Gerry Hendry 1.2 
			 Stafford Peter Small 0.1 
			 Standford Hill Kieron Taylor 0.1 
			 Stocken Steve Turner 0.4 
			 Stoke Heath Vacant from 1 March 2006 — 
			 Styal Steve Hall 2.2 
			 Sudbury Chris Davidson 5.1 
			 Swaleside Stephen O'Connell 0.1 
			 Swansea Phil Taylor 3.2 
			 Swinfen Hall Peter Knapton 3.7 
			 The Mount Steve Rodford 1.2 
			 The Verne Denise Hodder 0.6 
			 Thorn Cross Clive Chatterton 1.6 
			 Usk/Prescoed Phil Morgan 2.9 
			 Wakefield Dave Thompson 1.3 
			 Wandsworth Ian Mulholland 0.9 
			 Warren Hill Stuart Robinson 3.9 
			 Wayland Michael Wood 1.3 
			 Wealstun Amy Rice 1.2 
			 Wellingborough Jim Lewis 3.5 
			 Werrington Frank Flynn 3.2 
			 Wetherby Paul Foweather 2.1 
			 Whatton Viv Hart 2.8 
			 Whitemoor Martin Lomas 2.9 
			 Winchester Andy Lattimore 0.4 
			 Woodhill Luke Serjeant 0.2 
			 Wormwood Scrubs Steve Metcalf 0.1 
			 Wymott Jayne Blake 0.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Contracted Establishment  Director 
			 Altcourse John McLaughlin 
			 Ashfield Vicky O'Dea 
			 Bronzefield Janine McDowell 
			 Doncaster Brian Anderson 
			 Dovegate Wyn Jones 
			 Forest Bank Ivor Woods 
			 Lowdham Grange Guy Baulf 
			 Pare Jerry Knight 
			 Peterborough Mike Conway 
			 Rye Hill Alan Bramley 
			 Wolds Dave McDonnell

Prisons

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which prison governors were  (a) dismissed and  (b) disciplined in each year since 1997; what the reason was in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table shows the cases of disciplinary action, including dismissals, taken against operational managers (governor grades) in the Public Sector Prison Service in each year since 1997.
	The table shows the number of cases of disciplinary action, including dismissals, taken against operational managers (governor grades) in the Public Sector Prison Service in each year since 1997.
	
		
			  Category of misconduct  Penalty awarded  Grade of member of staff 
			  1997   
			 Failure to obey instructions Final written warning for 12 months and removal from field of promotion for 12 months Operational Manager F 
			  1998   
			 No disciplinary action taken 
			  1999 
			 Criminal Conviction Summary dismissal Operational Manager F 
			 Theft/Fraud Final written warning for one year and recommendation that he be removed from the work specialism. Operational Manager F 
			 Sexual harassment/assault Final written warning for 12 months Operational Manager F 
			 Sexual harassment/assault Final written warning for three years and removal from field of promotion for three years Operational Manager F 
			  2000   
			 Abusive language/behaviour towards staff Written warning for 12 months Operational Manager E 
			 Assault on prisoner Final written warning for three years and regraded to Principal Officer Operational Manager F 
			 Failure to obey instructions Written warning for six months Operational Manager E 
			 Improper relations with a prisoner Downgraded to Operational Manager F, removal from the field of promotion for three years and final written warning for five years Senior Operational Manager B 
			  2001   
			 Breach of security Written warning for 12 months Operational Manager F 
			 Failure to follow financial procedures Advice in accordance with Finance Manual Senior Operational Manager A 
			 Assault on prisoner Dismissal Operational Manager E 
			 Failure to follow financial procedures Final written warning for three years and removal from the field of promotion for two years Operational Manager E 
			 Sexual harassment/ assault Final written warning for three years, removal from the field of promotion for two years and regrading to Senior Operational Manager B Senior Operational Manager A 
			 Breach of security Written warning for two years Senior Operational Manager B 
			 Sexual harassment/assault Final written warning for five years and transferred to another establishment Senior Operational Manager C 
			 Breach of security Oral warning Senior Operational Manager B 
			  2002   
			 Unprofessional conduct Written warning for six months Operational Manager E 
			 Unprofessional conduct Final written warning for four years Operational Manager F 
			 Sexual harassment/assault Dismissal Operational Manager F 
			 Breach of security Oral warning for 12 months Operational Manager F 
			 Breach of security Final written warning for two years Operational Manager F 
			 Unprofessional conduct Dismissal Operational Manager F 
			  2003   
			 Assault on prisoner Dismissal Operational Manager E 
			 Abusive language/behaviour towards staff Written warning for 12 months Operational Manager E 
			 Assault on staff Final written warning for three years Operational Manager E 
			 Unprofessional conduct Oral warning for 12 months Operational Manager E 
			 Failure in performance of duties Written warning for 12 months Operational Manager F 
			 Unprofessional conduct Final written warning for five years Operational Manager F 
			  2004   
			 Theft/fraud Dismissal Operational Manager F 
			 Sexual harassment/assault Dismissal Operational Manager E 
			 Breach of security Dismissal Operational Manager E 
			  2005   
			 Criminal Conviction Final written warning for three years Senior Operational Manager D 
			 Sexual harassment/assault Dismissal Senior Operational Manager C 
			 Unprofessional conduct Final written warning for five years Operational Manager F

Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff at governor grades at each prison establishment in the Prison Service have been transferred compulsorily to another role in each of the last four years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table relates to directed moves since April 2004 until the end of April 2006. There are no figures available before April 2004 and these figures relate only to senior operational managers (senior governor grades in pay bands A to D). Figures for operational managers (pay bands E and F) are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  The number of senior operational managers in the public sector prison service in England and Wales transferred compulsorily to another role between April 2004 and April 2006 
			  Period  Number of managed moves 
			 April 2004 to December 2004 13 
			 January 2005 to December 2005 52 
			 January 2006 to April 2006 25

Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the performance testing exercises have resulted in prison governors being transferred compulsorily to another establishment; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The performance testing process is fluid and will require different specialisms, skills and experiences to support it. On occasions this means there will need to be staffing changes. Some of these changes will be the result of directed moves. Details of the numbers or reasons for these movements are not held centrally and it could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of Prison Service staff who have secondary employment as security staff; what action he is taking to ensure compliance with Prison Service orders relating to such employment; what mechanisms exist to ensure the appropriate use of investigatory powers; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people sentenced to more than  (a) five and  (b) 10 years were received into prison in each year since 1990; and what estimate has been made of the likely numbers over the next 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on the numbers of prisoners received into prison under an immediate custodial sentence of more than  (a) five and  (b) 10 years is published in:
	For receptions in 1994 to 2004—Table 7.8 of the internet tables for Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2004.
	For receptions in 1990 to 1993—Table 1.13 of Prison Statistics England and Wales 1993.
	The internet tables for Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2004 are available at the following internet address—http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/omcs.html. A copy of Prison Statistics England and Wales 2003 is available from the House of Commons Library. The latest prison population projections are published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 10/05 "Updated and Revised Prison Population Projections, 2005-2011, England and Wales". Figures for 10 scenarios can be found in this document. However, projections have not been made at the level of detail that would allow the numbers of receptions in particular sentence length bands to be estimated.

Prisons

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the prison population was on 31 March; how many unoccupied prison places there were; and in which prisons they were located.

Gerry Sutcliffe: On 31 March 2006, the total prison population was 77,058 and there was available capacity for 2,203 prisoners. Capacity was available at all prison establishments, with the exception of HMP Haverigg.

Prisons

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education and Skills about the impact of the churn of prisoners on educational provision.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Home Secretary has regular meetings with the Secretary of State for Education and Skills. Recent meetings have not covered the effect of churn specifically, but have focused on the establishment of the Offenders Learning and Skills (OLASS) project, which will introduce a new service of education and skills for offenders in both custody and the community.
	There have also been discussions about the Reducing Reoffending through Skills and Employment Green Paper launched in December 2005, which looks at strengthening the link between education and employability for prisoners. The Department for Education and Skills, the National Offender Management Service and the national probation directorate (NPD) are working closely to ensure that all prisoners have education opportunities in prison and in the community after release. The throughput of prisoners in establishments (i.e. numbers of prisoners received and discharged on a daily basis, also known as churn) has increased significantly.
	It has had some impact on establishment performance, particularly in hard pressed local prisons. However, since April 2002, over 150,000 basic skills qualifications have been achieved by learners in prison. In the last year, the NPD in partnership with the Learning and Skills Council supported the achievement of just under 9,500 qualifications to offenders in the community.

Prisons

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will instruct the Prison Service to run a small number of pilot schemes to assess the impact of paying prisoners market rates for their work, with appropriate deductions to cover the cost of accommodation, food, child support and reparations for victims.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Prison Service already has a scheme at HMP Coldingley that pays prisoners market rates for their work. However any expansion of such a pilot is limited by finding sufficient work that generates income to support such schemes. Under present legislation prisoners cannot be required to contribute directly to the cost of their stay in prison. Section 51 of the Prison Act 1952 requires that all expenses incurred for the maintenance of prisons and prisoners are met from public funds. However some schemes do exist that enable prisoners to make voluntary contributions to a variety of charitable causes, including those for victims. The Prisoners' Earnings Act 1996, which would, if implemented, allow deductions to be made, is very complex and prescriptive and would cost substantially more to administer than it would raise in revenue.

Prisons

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates are being held at HMP Leyhill; how many of these are  (a) category D prisoners and  (b) prisoners of other categories; what the corresponding figures were five years ago; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 3 May 2006
	There were 341 prisoners detained at HMP Leyhill on31 March 2006 and 321 detained on 31 March 2001. All were category D prisoners.

Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to  (a) HM Prison Service and  (b) other prison operators was of litigation in each of the last five years; what proportion of actions were initiated by (i) staff, (ii) inmates and (iii) others; and what action he is taking to reduce levels of litigation arising from the operation of prisons.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table covers the last two financial years. Data prior to this are unreliable and are therefore not included. Information collated centrally relates to public sector prisons; litigation in private sector prisons is a matter for the individual contractor. The figures exclude employment tribunals. In liaison with the Treasury Solicitor, the Prison Service publishes a monthly newsletter, highlighting best practice and lessons learned, to prison governors and senior staff.
	In addition, the Prison Service's Litigation Unit regularly reminds establishments of the steps to be taken following incidents, in order that resultant claims can, where possible, be defended. Trend data collated over the last two years are to be used to identify potential difficulties allowing governors and area managers to take remedial action for the future.
	
		
			  Cost of litigation in the public sector Prison Service in England and Wales in 2004-05 and 2005-06 
			   Number of compensated claims  Compensation paid (£)  Adverse costs (£) 
			  2004-05
			 Staff 156 2,373,873 867,057 
			 Prisoner 156 2,183,680 674,061 
			 Third party 6 11,869 8,292 
			 Total 318 4,569,422 1,549,410 
			 
			  2005-06
			 Staff 160 4,695,086 587,162 
			 Prisoner 181 4,042,743 272,217 
			 Third party 13 55,143 20,205 
			 Total 354 8,792,972 879,584

Probation Service

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legislation governs the requirement on the Probation Service to provide a pre-sentence report when a  (a) magistrates court and  (b) Crown court requests one; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 and the Criminal Justice Act 2003 contain provisions which relate to either the role of the national probation service in assisting the court through the production of pre-sentence reports or the consideration of such reports by the courts. In particular, the Criminal Justice Act 2003, part 12, from section 156 sets out the requirements on courts to obtain and consider pre-sentence reports.

Public Service Agreements

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress his Department is making towards the Spending Review 2002 Public Service Agreement Target  (a) four, on public confidence in the criminal justice system and  (b) five, on protecting the public and reducing re-offending; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 3 May 2006
	The spending review 2002 set the following Public Service Agreement Targets (PSA) for the Home Department:  (a) PSA four, Improve the level of public confidence in the Criminal Justice System, including increasing that of minority ethnic communities, and increasing year on year the satisfaction of witnesses, whilst respecting the rights of defendants. And;  (b) PSA five, Protect the Public and reduce re-offending by 5 per cent. I have published progress made against these targets in the Autumn Performance Report of December 2005 (CM6707), and will be publishing my latest assessment of progress, in the Departmental Report for 2005-06 which will be published in May at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/ho-targets-autumn-report-05

Residence Requirements

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of people who will be affected by the decision to extend the period of residence for settlement; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: An assessment has been made based on the number of in-country work related applications for settlement received each year. This indicates that around 45,000 applicants may be affected by the change and will now have to wait a further year for settlement. This estimate has been made subject to certain assumptions; for instance, that applicants who are eligible will apply for settlement at the earliest opportunity, and that the broad pattern of applications will remain the same as before.

Residence Requirements

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he held with minority ethnic communities about the likely impact of the extension of the residence period for settlement prior to its introduction; what such consultations he has had since its introduction; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The change in the minimum qualifying period for settlement affects work permit holders and those coming to the UK for employment. Our discussion of the change has, therefore, reflected this and has been principally with organisations that represent employees irrespective of their nationality or ethnic community. The Home Office has regular contact and discussions on migration and asylum issues with representatives of the minority ethnic communities.

Residence Requirements

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he held with  (a) employers,  (b) employers' organisations and  (c) employees' organisations representing minority ethnic communities on the effects of the extension of the residency period required for settlement rights; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office has had significant and regular contact with employers and employers' organisations to discuss the future changes to the immigration system since this increase in the minimum qualifying period for settlement was announced on7 February 2005. Between that date and the introduction of the change we received no views from employers on the substance of the policy, and the views that we have received since have been about the effect of the timing on individuals, not on sectors of business or employment. Most of the views we receive from employers in the normal course of events are that skilled workers do not stay with them for long enough, which, of course, is not affected by this change. On consultation about the effect of this change on minority ethnic communities I refer the my hon. Friend to my previous answer [No 68488].

Residence Requirements

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the likely effects on  (a) the employability of those on work permits,  (b) employers of migrant workers and  (c) inward investment of the extension of the residency period required for settlement rights in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The change does not affect anyone's right to remain and work in the UK; anyone with valid leave to remain and who is continuing in employment will qualify to remain as before and should have no difficulty in completing the fifth year. It will, therefore, have no affect on the employability of those on work permits since their employability is linked first and foremost to the skills that they possess, whether there is an employer who continues to require those skills, and whether the skills are still not available in the resident labour market. In some cases an employer may have to obtain renewal of a work permit and to pay a fee. We wish to maintain the attractiveness of the UK as a destination for investors. But our assessment is that the length of the qualifying period for settlement is of marginal importance in inward investment decisions compared with economic factors and the specific investment opportunities available. The discussions that we have had with representatives include those who represent individual overseas investors and these discussions have reassured us that the impact of this change on its own is likely to be neutral.

Residence Requirements

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the merits of transitional arrangements for those affected by the extension of the residency period required for settlement in the UK; what representations he has received on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Government looked closely at the merits of introducing transitional arrangements for those affected by the increase in the minimum qualifying period for settlement. In deciding not to introduce transitional arrangements the Government took account, amongst other things, of the following: the change does not prevent anyone from doing anything that they are currently doing; it does not limit anyone's time with any employer or reduce their stay in the United Kingdom in any way; and that to introduce transitional arrangements for those who arrived when the qualifying period was four years would mean that a desirable policy would not take effect until 2011.
	The Government have received representations from the Immigration Law Practitioners Association and from the Chinese Association about the change as a whole and from the Royal College of Nursing about some aspects of it. In addition a small number of individuals have been in contact with the Home Office about their individual cases. We acknowledge that this is will be a disappointing change for those individuals and will provide guidance and advice to those affected.

Security Industry Authority

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many licensing applications were received by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) in each month since January 2005; how many licences were issued; how many applications were returned to the individual for  (a) correction,  (b) further information and  (c) other reasons; and if he will make a statement on the performance of the SIA in handling licensing applications.

Vernon Coaker: The Security Industry Authority (SIA) are currently issuing around 530 licences a day. By virtue of the backlog (caused by some parts of the industry failing to meet their part of the agreement to submit licences over a 14-month period) the average time taken to process a licence has risen from six weeks for over 80 per cent. of applications to approximately 10 weeks. The SIA are taking steps to increase capacity. This information is set out in the table.
	
		
			   Accepted applications  Incomplete (rejected) applications  Total applications  Number licensed  Number licensed, running total 
			  2005  
			 March 4,742 4,481 9,223 (1)13,562 13,562 
			 April 3,938 3,983 7,921 4,493 18,055 
			 May 3,801 3,717 7,518 6,644 24,699 
			 June 4,045 3,701 7,746 4,821 29,520 
			 July 5,083 2,849 7,932 2,198 31,718 
			 August 6,270 4,323 10,593 4,859 36,577 
			 September 5,610 3,207 8,817 7,685 44,262 
			 October 7,386 3,645 11,031 4,683 48,945 
			 November 7,975 5,017 12,992 6,324 55,269 
			 December 8,785 4,174 12,959 5,204 60,473 
			   
			  2006  
			 January 11,402 3,481 14,883 7,857 68,330 
			 February 15,687 2,579 18,266 8,531 76,861 
			 (1 )Up to March.

Security Industry Authority

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors affected the timing of the decision in February 2006 to include security personnel working in alarm control centres in the Security Industry Authority (SIA) licensing scheme; how many SIA licences have been issued to personnel working in alarm control centres; and how many SIA licence applications are yet to be processed.

Vernon Coaker: The Security Industry Authority (SIA) first provided guidance that individuals who use CCTV to 'solely identify intruders onto a site' would need a Security Guard licence, as opposed to a CCTV licence, in the "Licensing Security Get Licensed" booklet, published in January 2005, not February 2006. The SIA has consistently made this position clear since then. Incorrect advice was given to one company by the SIA's call centre in October 2005, which was corrected in February 2006. It is not possible to identify how many licensed security guards undertake activities in alarm centres.

Sex Offenders

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions where electronic type tags were fitted to persons after their release from prison for sex offences in England and Wales between 2000 and 2005, the tags were found to have been illegally removed.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 24 April 2006
	A total of 64 prisoners are recorded as serving a sentence for a sexual offence at the time of their release on home detention curfew (HDC). The last such offender recorded as released on HDC was released in January 2004. It is not possible to provide accurate statistics of the number who removed their tag. This is because the data relate to the period before the start of the new electronic monitoring contracts on 1 April 2005 and are incomplete. Also, the data of one former supplier are unavailable.

US Extradition

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many alleged offenders have been extradited from the US to the UK in each of the last five years.

Joan Ryan: The figures for the last five complete calendar years are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2001 4 
			 2002 3 
			 2003 6 
			 2004 7 
			 2005 2

Work Permit Regulations

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what period of grace he proposes for doctors already in the UK under the new work permit regulations;
	(2)  what response he has made to the request of the British Medical Association for a period of grace for international medical graduates already in the UK in relation to the relevant changes in immigration rules.

Tony McNulty: The changes to the rules were developed by the Home Office and the Department of Health together, following a request by the Department of Health. Those who had existing leave as a postgraduate doctor or dentist prior to the changes can continue to use this leave as before. We have also put in place transitional arrangements for all those either in a post or offered one before the Department of Health announced the changes on 7 March. Full details of the transitional arrangements are available in the Immigration Directorates' Instructions on the revised rules on the IND website at www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk The Home Office and the Department of Health met with the British Medical Association to discuss the changes, including the transitional arrangements.

Young Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many under 18 year olds were remanded to custody by each youth court in each year since 2000; and what percentage of sentences for under-18s this represented in each case.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Statistics collected from the magistrates courts and the police on persons remanded to custody by magistrates/youth courts are not sufficiently robust to be shown for under 18-year-olds and by individual court. The readily available information, which relates to persons aged 10 to 17 sentenced for indictable offences in each magistrates/youth court, is published in table S4.1(B) of 'Criminal statistics, England and Wales, supplementary tables, Volume 4'. These publications can be found on the Home Office website for 2000-04, as follows: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/crim statvol4.pdfhttp://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/cs 2001vol4.xlshttp://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/cs 2002vol4pt1.xlshttp://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs 04/cs2003vol4pt1.xls.http://www.home office.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/cs2004vol4pt1.xls.

WORK AND PENSIONS

100th Birthday (One-off Payment)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will introduce a one-off payment for UK residents who reach the age of 100 years.

James Plaskitt: We have no plans to make such a payment.

Benefit Recipients (Doncaster, North)

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents of Doncaster, North constituency received pension credit in the most recent period for which figures were available, broken down by ward; and what the average payment was.

James Plaskitt: The information is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Pension credit individual beneficiaries and average weekly amount of benefit for wards in Doncaster, North, November 2005 
			  Ward name  Individual beneficiaries  Average weekly benefit (£) 
			 Adwick 1,220 38.39 
			 Askern 785 39.08 
			 Bentley Central 1,015 39.98 
			 Bentley North Road 755 34.63 
			 Stainforth 960 38.04 
			 Thorne 1,390 38.61 
			  Notes:  1. Number of individual beneficiaries are rounded to a multiple of five, average amounts to the nearest penny.  2. Average weekly benefit has been calculated using the numbers of claimants.  3. Individual beneficiaries includes claimants and partners.  4. Pension credit (PC) replaced minimum income guarantee (MIG) on 6 October 2003. Existing MIG recipients were automatically converted onto pension credit on that date (assuming they still met the eligibility criteria).   Source:  Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

Claim Processing

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many days it took to rate a claim for  (a) income support,  (b) jobseeker's allowance and  (c) incapacity benefit in Alloa in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about how many days it took to rate a claim for Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support and Incapacity Benefit in Alloa in the most recent period for which figures are available. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Our measure of the time taken to process a claim is the Actual Average Clearance Time. For 2005/06, the Jobcentre Plus Key Management Indicators for processing claims were 12 working days for Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance and 19 working days for Incapacity Benefit.
	Jobcentre Plus does not record separate information for Alloa. However, it is included with the whole of the Stirling area. The average clearance times for the Stirling area in March 2006 are set out in the table.
	
		
			  Days 
			   Income support clearance time  Jobseeker's allowance clearance time  Incapacity benefit clearance times 
			 March 2006 18.3 10 14.3 
		
	
	Although the overall Actual Average Clearance Time for Income Support claims during 2005/06 is 11.3 days, the figure for March was 18.3 days. Action is being taken to reverse the recent increase in clearance times in Income Support.
	A number of additional staff are currently undergoing intensive training and we anticipate an improvement in clearance times once they come into operation. Our management groups meet regularly to review local arrangements and performance issues, and this enables us to solve immediate problems.
	Jobcentre Plus gives a high priority to customer service and we are doing everything we can to ensure that we continue to deliver the high level of service our customers have the right to expect.
	I hope this is helpful.

Pension Credit

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of pensioners received pension credit in  (a) the UK,  (b) the South West and  (c) Taunton constituency in each year since its introduction.

James Plaskitt: The information that is available is in the following table.
	
		
			  Pension credit case loads (beneficiaries) 
			   November 2003  August 2004  August 2005 
			 Total in Great Britain 2,495,300 3,147,100 3,281,200 
			 Percentage of population over age 60 in Great Britain in receipt of pension credit 20.5 25.6 26.7 
			 Total in South West Government office region 206,600 260,700 271,900 
			 Percentage of population over age 60 in South West Government office region in receipt of pension credit 17.1 17.1 22.1 
			 Total in Taunton parliamentary constituency 4,000 5,300 5,500 
			  Notes:  1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.  2. Estimates of the number of people over age 60 in parliamentary constituencies are unavailable; a percentage figure for the Taunton constituency cannot be provided.  3. The answer is expressed as a percentage of the population over age 60 as pension credit (PC) is an entitlement for claimants in this age group.  4. The number of individual beneficiaries is the claimants plus their partners. Couples may include partners who are less than age 60.  5. Pension credit replaced minimum income guarantee (MIG) on 6 October 2003. Existing MIG recipients were automatically converted onto pension credit on that date (assuming they still met the eligibility criteria).   Sources:  1. DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.  2. Population data: ONS (Office for National Statistics) and GROS (General Register Office, Scotland). Mid year 2003 and Mid year 2004 estimates.

Pension Credit

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the average payment of pension credit was in Midlothian in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many households in Midlothian are in receipt of pension credit.

James Plaskitt: The information is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  The number of pension credit beneficiaries in the parliamentary constituency of Midlothian: February 2006 
			  Parliamentary constituency  Household beneficiaries  Weekly average amount (£) 
			 Midlothian 3,590 37.39 
			  Notes:  1. The preferred data source for figures supplied by the Department for Work and Pensions is the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS), for which the latest published data is November 2005. However, as the latest available figures have been requested the figures provided have been taken from the pension credit early estimates.  2. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10.  3. These figures are early estimates. Caseload figures are taken from the GMS scan at 17 February 2006. These are adjusted using the historical relationship between WPLS and GMS data to give an estimate of the final WPLS figure. Average amounts are displayed as at the scan reference data of 17 February 2006.  4. Pension credit (PC) replaced minimum income guarantee (MIG) on 6 October 2003. Existing MIG recipients were automatically converted onto pension credit on that date (assuming they still met the eligibility criteria).  5. Household recipients are those people who claim PC either on behalf of themselves only or on behalf of a household. This number is equal to the number of households in receipt of PC.  6. Couples may include partners who are aged less than 60. 7. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory.   Source:  Information Directorate: 100 per cent. data from the Generalised Matching Service (CMS). Pension Credit scan taken as at 17 February 2006.

Pension Credit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) single and  (b) couple pensioner households are receiving pension credit in each local authority area in England; what this represents as a proportion of all pensioner households; and what the average pension credit payment is in each such area.

James Plaskitt: The information that is available has been placed in the Library.

Post Office Card Accounts

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in which  (a) postcode areas and  (b) constituencies holders of Post Office card accounts are being contacted to close their Post Office card accounts under the pilot scheme announced by his Department.

James Plaskitt: We ran a number of small-scale pilots between 13 February and 10 March 2006, with coverage across Great Britain. Now that the pilots have concluded we are evaluating the results.

SCOTLAND

Block Grant

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the First Minister on the underspend of the Scottish block grant.

David Cairns: My right hon. Friend intends to meet the First Minister frequently to discuss a range of issues. Government Departments and the devolved administrations are entitled to carry forward departmental expenditure limit (DEL) monies that have not been spent from one financial year to the next. This end year flexibility is a prudent and proper part of the Government accounting system.

Children's Services

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many nursery and creche places are provided for people working in his Department; what charges are made for the provision of such services; and what other facilities are provided for the children of employees of his Department.

David Cairns: The staff in the Scotland Office are on loan from the Scottish Executive or the Department for Constitutional Affairs and have access to the facilities provided by those Departments.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in his Department have been  (a) disciplined and  (b) dismissed for (i) inappropriate use of the internet while at work and (ii) using work telephones to access premium rate numbers in each of the last five years.

David Cairns: Regarding inappropriate use of the internet, I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 15 February 2006,  Official Report, column 2091W. The telephone system for the Scotland Office bars telephone calls to premium rate numbers.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of the staff in his Department are  (a) male,  (b) female and  (c) disabled, broken down by grade.

David Cairns: This information was published in the Office's annual report for 2005 and will be updated in the 2006 report which will be published shortly.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what opportunities exist for people to work beyond retirement age in his Department.

David Cairns: The staff in the Scotland Office are on loan from the Scottish Executive or the Department for Constitutional Affairs and are able to apply for the opportunities of those Departments.

Departmental Websites

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list  (a) the websites operated by his Department and  (b) the reports placed on the internet in March 2006, indicating in each case whether paper copies were also made available.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office operates one website, www.scotlandoffice.gov.uk: no reports were placed on this site during March 2006.

ID Cards (Scotland)

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how the introduction of identity cards in Scotland will differ from the rest of the UK.

David Cairns: I refer the hon. Member to the answer which my right hon. Friend, the previous Secretary of State for Scotland, gave to him in response to his similar question during Scottish oral questions on 28 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 668-69.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Bolivia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Bolivia about their campaign for the UN to legalise coca.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the reply the then Minister for Europe my right hon. Friend the Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire, South (Mr. Alexander) gave to him on 9 January 2006,  Official Report, column 185W. It is for the Bolivian Government to establish the overall direction of policy on coca cultivation, but the UK expects Bolivia will continue to respect international agreements already committed to. Where possible, we hope to continue to assist the Bolivian Government in their efforts to tackle drug trafficking. Our position on this issue has not changed.

Brazil

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Government of Brazil on the use of military-style armoured police vehicles in Rio de Janeiro's favelas and the protection of civilians from indiscriminate enforcement activity.

Geoff Hoon: The Government have raised human rights issues with the Brazilian Government, including those relating to policing methods. The authorities there recognise the scale of the problem and addressing it is a priority for Brazil's Government.
	In April this year my noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, met with Paulo Vannuchi, Special Secretary for Human Rights. The two agreed that police reform was a key area in which Brazil and the UK could co-operate, complementing existing Government-supported projects with Brazilian partners aimed at combating torture and improving the police and penal systems. We will continue to work with the Brazilian authorities and with Brazilian civil society to help address the root causes of these problems.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts about the case for a total investment ban in Burma.

Ian McCartney: There is currently no consensus within the EU to introduce an investment ban in Burma. My right. hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had any recent discussions with her EU counterparts on this issue.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts on the UN Security Council about Burma.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has regular discussions with UN Security Council partners about a number of countries, including Burma.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the reports recently issued by the Free Burma Rangers about Burma Army attacks on civilians.

Ian McCartney: We are aware of the reports. We are particularly concerned that offensives continue in Karen State despite the cease-fire discussions between the Karen National Union and the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) which have been held in the past two years. We call for the SPDC to refrain from attacks on civilians, in line with international humanitarian law, and to pursue peaceful political solutions to the ethnic conflicts in Burma.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what recent  (a) meetings he has had and  (b) representations he has received about (i) human rights in Burma, (ii) the status of Shan refugees living in Thailand and (iii) the use of rape as a weapon of war in Burma;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Burma about  (a) human rights,  (b) persecution of ethnic nationals, with particular reference to the Shan people, the Karen people and the Karenni, and  (c) the use of rape as a weapon of war in Burma.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no recent discussions with the Burmese Government. The Head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) South East Asia Group recently raised the human rights situation in Burma with the Burmese Ambassador in London on 11 April and senior officials from the Burmese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rangoon on 20 April.
	There is credible evidence that members of the Burmese armed forces are carrying out rape on a large scale, particularly against women belonging to ethnic groups. Both Professor Sergio Pinheiro, the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma, and Nang Charm Tong of the Shan Women's Action Network have produced reports demonstrating the extent of this. We have helped to ensure that resolutions at the UN General Assembly have called for an end to the use of rape and sexual violence by the armed forces in Burma.
	My right hon. Friend the then Foreign Secretary discussed the human rights situation in Burma, including the use of rape as a weapon of war, and the status of Shan refugees living in Thailand with Nang Charm Tong on 26 April. FCO officials regularly discuss human rights issues with representatives from non-governmental organisations and Burmese ethnic groups.

Chad

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with members of the government of Chad on the planned presidential elections on 3 May; what security concerns have been raised by the government of Chad; what help has been  (a) offered by the UK Government and  (b) accepted by the government of Chad to ensure a safe environment for the election; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: We have had no specific discussions with the Government of Chad about the elections which took place on 3 May 2006, but we have made consistently clear our wish to see credible and peaceful elections in Chad and throughout Africa.
	As there is no resident UK mission in N'Djamena, our main engagement in-country is through resident EU Heads of Mission. An EU delegation visited Chad on 27 and 28 April and met with President Deby to discuss the security situation in Chad and the forthcoming elections. We call upon President Deby to open genuine political dialogue with the opposition and civil society to ensure a secure environment.
	The EU did not provide any support or observers for the election following a UN Development Programme report which stated that the elections in Chad did not meet the minimum conditions required for them to be described as free and fair.

Chad

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the UK Government plan to commit to alleviate the security and political situation in Chad.

Ian McCartney: As there is no resident UK mission in N'Djamena, our main engagement in-country is through resident EU Heads of Mission. An EU mission visited Chad on 27 and 28 April to discuss the security situation in Chad and the elections. The EU did not provide any support or observers for the election following a UN Development Programme report which stated that the elections in Chad did not meet the minimum conditions required for them to be described as free and fair.
	The UK provided £5 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Food Programme, and to non-governmental organisations delivering life-saving medical assistance and water supplies in Chad in 2005. In 2006, we are providing£4 million to support the humanitarian response in Chad.

Chad

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Chad; and what assessment he has made of whether the country will be able to proceed with its scheduled elections.

Ian McCartney: The situation in Chad remains unstable following army desertions, attempted coups and general unrest throughout much of the country in recent months. A rebel assault on the capital, N'Djamena on 13 April was defeated, but unrest is likely to continue. We remain concerned, particularly, about cross-border attacks involving both Darfur and Chadian rebels.
	Presidential elections took place as scheduled on3 May. Reports so far indicate that they have been generally peaceful, but opposition parties boycotted the election and voter turnout was low.

Cote D'Ivoire

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of  (a) the current security situation in Cote d'Ivôire,  (b) the projected development of the security situation in the run-up to the presidential elections in Cote d'Ivôire,  (c) the ability of the current UN peacekeeping deployment to meet the increased security demand and  (d) the UN Secretary General's most recent call to the Security Council for additional troops and police; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The peace process in Cote d'Ivôire is at a critical stage. The security situation will remain fragile and difficult to predict in the lead up to elections. The UN peacekeeping deployment, working closely with French peacekeepers, has played an important role in maintaining peace on the ground under difficult circumstances. Discussions in New York are currently under way on the UN Secretary General's call for additional troops and civilian police. We believe that an increase in troops is justified, but decisions on the precise modalities must be made on a careful assessment of need.

Cote D'Ivoire

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposal in Cote d'Ivoire to run disarmament and voter identification programmes concurrently on the  (a) security situation and  (b) enfranchisement levels in the run-up to presidential elections; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him today (UIN 66641) and on 2 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1391W.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken by his Department to assist with reform of the security services in Democratic Republic of Congo, with particular reference to steps taken  (a) to improve respect for human rights and  (b) to reduce sexual violence against women.

Ian McCartney: Poorly-disciplined and unpaid members of the Democratic Republic of Congo security services continue to commit frequent human rights abuses, including sexual violence against women. We have pushed the Congolese Government, including the President and senior army officials, for an end to such abuses and for those guilty to be brought to justice.
	The UK has provided finance and experts to the EU's Security Sector Reform mission, which is helping create a unified army and reduce the massive corruption stopping ordinary soldiers from being paid. The UK is also contributing £3 million for accommodation and sanitation for soldiers in the integrated brigades. Better pay, conditions and training should mean a reduction in troops harassing civilians for food and money.

Equatorial Guinea

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions and requests for judicial co-operation there have been between the authorities in South Africa and the UK authorities regarding the alleged involvement of Greg Wales, David Tremain and Eli Calil in the attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea.

Ian McCartney: It is the Government's practice to treat requests for judicial co-operation or discussions about criminal matters from foreign governments as confidential.
	The UK remains committed to assisting its international partners in the fight against crime wherever possible.

Falun Gong

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of China about the Falun Gong.

Ian McCartney: We regularly raise human rights abuses against individual Falun Gong practitioners with the Chinese Government, including at the biannual UK and EU-China Human Rights Dialogue. Officials from our Embassy in Beijing raised the recent media allegations of organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners with the Chinese Government in April. We will continue to raise concerns, where appropriate.

Falun Gong

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received about the treatment of the Falun Gong by China.

Ian McCartney: The Government have received representations from hon. Members, non-governmental organisations and members of the public about the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in China. Although the Government do not take a position on the nature of the Falun Gong organisation, we are concerned about human rights abuses against individual Falun Gong practitioners. We regularly raise individual cases with the Chinese Government, including at the UK and EU-China Human Rights Dialogue. We will continue to raise such cases where appropriate.

Falun Gong

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the UK Government are taking to protect the human rights of Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Ian McCartney: The Government are concerned about human rights abuses in China, including against Falun Gong practitioners. We regularly raise these concerns with the Chinese Government, through ministerial contacts, our bilateral human rights dialogue and EU mechanisms. We raised concerns of abuse against individual Falun Gong practitioners at the last round of the EU-China human rights dialogue in October 2005.

Indonesia

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made concerning the situation of Christians in Indonesia.

Ian McCartney: We regularly raise human rights issues with the Government of Indonesia, both bilaterally and through the EU. We have made clear our view that freedom of religion is an important component of the democratic life of the country.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made representations personally. However, through the EU, we have made representations to the Indonesian Government concerning the death penalty handed down to three Christians convicted of masterminding violence in central Sulawesi in 2000. On 14 November 2005, as EU Presidency, we expressed to the Government of Indonesia the EU's regret at the decision to carry out the executions, and urged the Indonesian Government not to do so and to consider the abolition of the death penalty altogether. The current EU Presidency, Austria, followed this up with the Government of Indonesia in January 2006 in separate meetings with the Minister of Law and Human Rights and the Attorney-General, and in a note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The EU Presidency raised this again during the EU-Indonesia Ministerial Troika meeting in Vienna on 27 March 2006.
	We understand that the Indonesian Supreme Court had recently reopened the case and that there may be further police enquiries.

Iran (Nuclear Programme)

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the status of the Russian proposal for an offshore nuclear fuel supply arrangement with Iran.

Kim Howells: The Government understand that the Russian proposal for a fuel supply arrangement with Iran remains on offer. President Putin announced on 25 January a similar scheme for a multilateral fuel cycle centre in Russia, open to all countries. We continue to believe that such a proposal could contribute to resolving international concerns regarding Iran's nuclear programme.

Iraq

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in the investigation into illegal exports to Iraq referred to on page 125 of the Court of Auditors report for 2003.

Kim Howells: I understand this concerns illegal exports of meat to Iraq in the 1990s. Several EU member states have been requested to recover funds that should not have been paid. Investigations into this case are continuing.

Kosovo

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps have been taken to assess the  (a) security needs and  (b) continuing role of NATO forces in Kosovo; and what the British involvement will be in the EU planning team in Kosovo.

Geoff Hoon: Kosovo's security needs are kept under constant review by NATO as part of its mandate to provide a safe and secure environment in Kosovo. The London Ministerial Contact Group statement of 31 January 2006 recalled the commitment of NATO to continue to maintain a safe and secure environment through the presence of the Kosovo Force in Kosovo. A copy of the statement has been placed in the Library of the House. NATO participates in Contact Group discussions relating to Kosovo were necessary to ensure that its posture is calibrated both to international political discussions and Kosovo internal developments.
	The General Affairs and External Relations Council agreed at their meeting on 10 April 2006 to a Joint Action launching the EU Planning Team for a possible future civilian European Security and Defence Policy Mission in Kosovo. The UK has offered one policing adviser to the EU Planning Team. The Council Secretariat are expected to confirm appointments over the coming weeks.

Lord's Resistance Army

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her estimate is of the number of armed Uganda Lord's Resistance Army rebels operating in  (a) northern Uganda and  (b) the Democratic Republic of Congo; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Browne) on 20 April 2006,  Official Report, column 783W.

Lord's Resistance Army

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her assessment is of the reports that the  (a) Uganda People's Defence Forces and  (b) Sudanese People's Liberation Army have entered the Democratic Republic of Congo on search-and-destroy missions against the Lord's Resistance Army; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: On 27 April there were media reports of clashes between the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) troops and Uganda's armed forces (UPDF) in north-eastern DRC. On 30 April MONUC, the UN peacekeeping mission to the DRC, stated that reports concerning a Ugandan incursion into the DRC were credible. The Congolese Government have since claimed that their troops had clashed with men in UPDF uniforms, on Congolese soil, on 26 April. There have subsequently been media reports that the Sudanese People's Liberation Army may have entered DRC territory in pursuit of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).
	We take any such allegations very seriously and our high commissioner in Kampala discussed the reports with the Uganda Foreign Minister on 27 April. Minister Kutesa and other contacts within the UPDF have strongly denied the reports.
	It is very difficult to obtain authoritative information on the precise situation in north-eastern DRC. The LRA is a highly mobile and brutal organisation. Its members are known to wear stolen uniforms from other armed forces, which may have led to confusion as to the identity of those involved. We are following the situation very closely and continue to emphasise to all sides the need to deal robustly with the LRA while respecting the territorial integrity of the DRC.

Nigeria

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Nigerian Government on  (a) the destruction of churches in Jigawa state, Kaduma, Banchi and Kano and  (b) difficulties church leaders encounter in the north of the country in getting permission and obtaining licences to re-build churches destroyed in inter-religious violence.

Ian McCartney: I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the then Foreign Secretary's reply to him of 25 April 2006,  Official Report, columns 487-88. We take every opportunity to raise concerns about religious conflicts and human rights generally with the Government of Nigeria and senior leaders from all faiths in that country. Nigeria is a diverse, federal state and conflicts unfortunately occur over many issues. We will continue to make representations to the relevant authorities on the importance of religious tolerance and co-existence and raise specific incidents of religious conflict where they are credible and verified.

Nigeria

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of the constitutional amendment proposed by President Obasanjo to remove the limit of two presidential terms; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: As my right hon. Friend the then Foreign Secretary said publicly during his visit to Nigeria in February this year, constitutional change, done fairly and transparently, is a matter for Nigeria. The UK will continue to support the Nigerian Government's reform agenda whoever the Nigerian people choose as their next President.

Shan Refugees (Thailand)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees about the status of Shan refugees living in Thailand;
	(2)  what recent discussions she has had with the government of Thailand about regularising the status of Shan refugees living in Thailand;
	(3)  what recent discussions she has had with  (a) the Government of Thailand and  (b) members of the Association of South East Asian Nations about the treatment of Shan refugees living in Thailand.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed the status of the Shan refugees living in Thailand with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). However, our embassy in Bangkok regularly discusses the situation of Burmese refugees from all ethnic groups with the office of the UNHCR. The Royal Thai Government are not a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Refugees and do not give refugee status to refugees from any of the Burmese ethnic groups, including the Shan. There are, however, more than 150,000 Burmese refugees in the area. We have not had any recent discussions with the Royal Thai Government or other Association of South East Asian Nations countries about the status or treatment of Shan refugees.

Sierra Leone

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made in pursuit of ensuring that tribal chiefs in Sierra Leone remain neutral in forthcoming elections.

Ian McCartney: Our high commission in Freetown has repeatedly reinforced the importance of political neutrality to the paramount and district chiefs.
	We have also made clear to the Sierra Leonean Government that we expect to see open access for all parties to the electorate across the whole country. We are closely monitoring the situation in the run-up to the elections next year and will make strong representations to the Government if we feel that democratic principles are being endangered.
	Ensuring credible elections in Sierra Leone is the task of the Sierra Leone National Electoral Commission (NEC). The UK has contributed to a UN Development Programme "basket fund" designed to provide co-ordinated donor support to the NEC. With this support, the NEC has undertaken a campaign to sensitise chiefs to their politically neutral electoral role. We understand the NEC will follow up this exercise with a further education campaign soon.

Sierra Leone

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government have made representations to the United Nations on ensuring that border disputes between Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea are subject to mediation or action by the International Court.

Ian McCartney: We have co-operated with the UN military and civilian missions in Sierra Leone and urge the peaceful resolution of the border dispute between Sierra Leone and Guinea. We funded a UK expert to assist the Economic Community of West African States-initiated boundary delimitation exercise on the disputed border village of Yenga.
	We are not aware of any active border disputes between Liberia and Sierra Leone or Guinea. We support the work of the Mano River Union to address any differences arising between the three countries.

Sierra Leone

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking towards ensuring that elections to be held in Sierra Leone are  (a) conducted on a free and fair basis and  (b) scrutinised by international observers.

Ian McCartney: The UK has made representations to the Government of Sierra Leone and the opposition parties to stress the importance of free and fair elections.
	The Department for International Development are providing financial assistance to strengthen the National Electoral Commission (NEC) in two parts, the first £1.5 million of which has been disbursed. The funds provided will support training of the NEC staff and will help to conduct the boundary delimitation, voter registration and voter education activities. The UK sits on a steering committee for the electoral process and is working closely with the UN in-country and in New York to ensure wide and fair participation by the electorate, and competent management of the process by the NEC.
	We are also supporting civil society preparations for elections including a proposal to use the Radio UN facilities as an independent broadcaster for voter education and public service purposes.
	We anticipate that there will be a need for international observers for the elections. We will consider the precise details once the dates are known.

Sudan

Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how his Department is attempting to secure peace in Darfur.

Ian McCartney: The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to bring peace to Darfur. In the absence of a peace agreement we have been a leading supporter of the African Union mission (AMIS) there, contributing over £50 million. The African Union (AU) has done a good job in improving security in the region. But the situation is evolving and a more multi-disciplinary approach is now needed. We therefore support handover to a UN mission when AMIS's current mandate expires on 30 September. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is in constant contact at Ministerial level with the AU, UN and on a bilateral basis with those nations taking key roles in the peace process.
	Only a political solution will bring lasting peace and security to Darfur. We fully support the AU-led peace talks in Abuja and are pressing the parties to reach a deal as soon as possible. We have had a permanent presence throughout the talks since March in the form of a high-level Special Representative. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development arrived in Abuja on 2 May to support the negotiations and help achieve a deal. We are urging the parties to reach an agreement without further delay, on the basis of the AU's draft peace agreement text.

Uganda

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of reports that a legal adviser to President Museveni of Uganda used a rifle to intimidate civilians and attack voters in the run up to the election in March.

Ian McCartney: A Ugandan newspaper published a photograph on 24 February which appeared to show President Museveni's legal adviser, Fox Odoi, brandishing a firearm over a number of people who were lying on the ground, surrounded by armed police officers.
	Fox Odoi was questioned by the police on 25 February and arrested on 26 February. He was granted bail on 28 February. We understand that the Director of Public Prosecutions is now considering the case.
	In the run-up to the elections on 23 February the UK made clear the importance we attached to peaceful and lawful campaigning. We look forward to a thorough investigation of this incident. My hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) was present as special envoy of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for the duration of the election.

Uganda

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of reports that the Ugandan army used armoured vehicles to intimidate opposition supporters and injure civilians in the run up to the election in March.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that the then Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs my hon. Friend the Member for Dudley, South (Ian Pearson) gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 18 April 2006,  Official Report, Column 92-3W.

Uganda

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 92W, on Uganda, what assessment she has made of President Museveni's comments regarding the effect of aid donors' decisions on the building of two dams on the power shortage in Uganda; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: Speaking on 1 May, President Museveni suggested that the 6(th )Ugandan Parliament and donors were responsible for preventing the construction of two dams, which was the cause of the current electricity power crisis in Uganda.
	The World Bank and other donors did not block the construction of the Bujagali dam and have confirmed their commitment to support the Government of Uganda's plan to develop the country's energy sector. The Ugandan Government have announced their intention to construct a dam at Karuma but detailed feasibility and financing studies have yet to commence.
	As my hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs set out in his reply to the hon. Member on 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 92W, our view is that the current drought coupled with reports of over-abstraction of water from Lake Victoria to generate power are causing the current problems.

West Papua

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the reports of mistreatment of native Papuans and Christians in West Papua; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The isolated nature of some areas of the province of Papua makes it difficult to establish a clear picture, but we investigate any credible reports of human rights abuses in the province of Papua. We have no firm evidence of widespread mistreatment of native Papuans and/or Christians. Officials from our Embassy in Jakarta visit Papua regularly and meet local officials, academics, journalists and non-governmental organisations. We are also in regular contact with Papuan groups in the UK. We raise cases of concern with the Government of Indonesia and ask them to follow up substantiated allegations.
	We regularly encourage the Indonesian Government to allow access to Papua for media organisations. We understand that the BBC correspondent in Jakarta has been given permission to visit Papua this month. We welcome this.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Attendance Allowance

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what the change has been in the numbers of people claiming  (a) higher rate and  (b) lower rate attendance allowance in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many people in Northern Ireland are in receipt of  (a) higher rate and  (b) lower rate attendance allowance.

David Hanson: The information requested is shown in the following tables. Data are taken from February in each year.
	
		
			  Change in number of people claiming Attendance Allowance 
			   Higher rate  Change +/-  Lower rate  Change +/- 
			 2001 52,180 — 20,398 — 
			 2002 53,017 + 837 19,791 - 607 
			 2003 53,310 + 293 19,447 - 344 
			 2004 53,040 - 270 18,848 - 559 
			 2005 53,645 + 605 18,095 - 53 
			 2006 52,246 - 1,399 17,717 - 378 
		
	
	
		
			  Number currently in receipt of Attendance Allowance( 1) 
			   Higher rate  Lower rate 
			 2006 53,017 19,791 
			 (1) This excludes people with entitlement where payment has been suspended for example, because they are in hospital

Child Support agency

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2006,  Official Report, column 315W, on the Child Support Agency, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the new system.

David Hanson: Further work to improve the IT system is scheduled to take place over 2006 and 2007. The current position with the IT system is one of improvement; as a result of work over the past 18 months, the stability, availability and performance levels of the new computer system are much improved. Monitoring will continue as the improvements are implemented.

Civil Servants (Women)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the percentage of women in  (a) senior civil service positions and  (b) general service grades in Northern Ireland was in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: The information requested is set out in the table and shows the position as at 1 January in each year. It includes Northern Ireland civil servants working in the 11 Northern Ireland departments and agencies and the Northern Ireland Office.
	
		
			   Percentage of women in the senior civil service  Percentage of women in the general service grades( 1) 
			 2002 16.3 64.1 
			 2003 17.1 64.3 
			 2004 20.1 64.3 
			 2005 22.0 64.0 
			 2006 25.1 63.8 
			 (1 )Excluding senior civil service grades.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what opportunities exist for people to work beyond retirement age in each department in Northern Ireland, including the Northern Ireland Office.

David Hanson: For the majority of staff in the 11 Northern Ireland civil service departments and the NIO, including agencies, the normal retiring age is 60 (for some prison officers it is 55). Staff, both industrial or non-industrial, may choose to continue to work up to the compulsory retirement age of 65, subject to satisfactory performance and attendance.

Domestic Violence

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many incidents of domestic violence have been recorded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the last five years,  (a) in total and  (b) broken down by District Command Unit; and how many victims of such incidents were(i) women in a heterosexual relationship, (ii) men in a heterosexual relationship, (iii) women in a same sex relationship, (iv) men in a same sex relationship and (v) children;
	(2)  how many domestic violence crimes were investigated by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the last five years,  (a) in total and (b) broken down by District Command Unit; and how many victims of such incidents were (i) women in a heterosexual relationship, (ii) men in a heterosexual relationship, (iii) women in a same sex relationship, (iv) men in a same sex relationship and (v) children.

Shaun Woodward: The Police Service of Northern Ireland defines a domestic incident as
	"any incident of threatening behaviour, violence, or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) by one family member against another or adults who are or have been intimate partners, regardless of gender".
	The following table provides details of the total number of domestic incidents and crimes reported to police in each of the last five years. A breakdown of these incidents by District Command Unit is only available from 2003-04 and can found on the Police Service of Northern Ireland website at www.psni.police.uk under the hyperlink 'statistics'. It is not possible to provide information on whether the victims of such incidents are women/men in a heterosexual relationship or otherwise, or if they are children. Statistics relating to the number of domestic violence crimes investigated by the PSNI is not available.
	
		
			  Number of domestic incidents and crimes 
			   Incidents reported  Offences committed 
			 2000-01 14,325 7,254 
			 2001-02 14,937 7,814 
			 2002-03 15,512 7,961 
			 2003-04 16,926 8,565 
			 2004-05 20,959 8,508

Eating Disorders

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaths in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years have had eating disorders recorded as a contributory factor.

David Hanson: The following table gives the number of deaths registered in Northern Ireland in each year between 2001 and 2005, where an eating disorder(1 )was recorded on the death certificate as a primary or secondary cause of death.
	(1 )International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision code F50 for years 2001-05
	
		
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005( 1) 
			 Eating disorder recorded as the primary cause of death 3 0 0 1 0 
			 Eating disorder recorded as a secondary cause of death 1 2 1 0 1 
			 Certificates mentioning eating disorders 4 2 1 1 1 
			 (1 )Provisional Data

Equality Impact Assessment

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how an equality impact assessment will be carried out in respect of  (a) the programme for government and  (b) the Northern Ireland budget.

David Hanson: Since 2003 the Government have adopted an integrated approach to the publication of both priorities and associated final allocations. The most recent publication, Priorities and Budget 2006-08, was published on 14 December 2005 and Chapter 6 of this document sets out details of how high level equality, good relations and social need impacts are assessed and factored into decision making.
	Looking to the future, in preparation for Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 officials are working closely with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland to further develop the methodology to ensure that the assessment of the Government's spending proposals in respect of equality, good relations and social need impacts, continue to comply, to the fullest extent possible, with the equality impact assessment process laid out in the Commission's guidance.

Firearm Certificates

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting time is for the processing of firearm certificates by the Police Service of Northern Ireland; and what resources are available to the Chief Constable to reduce waiting times.

Shaun Woodward: The Chief Constable informs me that the average time taken to deal with most firearms applications is currently 22 weeks. There are 39 civilian staff and three police officers involved in the various aspects of the day-to-day processing of firearm certificate applications. These figures include six additional members of staff recruited in mid-January 2006 to help reduce the current backlog of work.

Fixed Speeding Cameras

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fixed speeding cameras in Northern Ireland have been found to be faulty or not working in the last 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: The PSNI currently operates four fixed safety cameras, all in the greater Belfast area. Over the past 12 months, all four cameras have experienced technical difficulties of some form or another. On each occasion that a fault has been identified, it has been referred to the manufacturer and the appropriate remedial action taken to remedy the problem.

Home Working

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in  (a) each Northern Ireland Department and  (b) the Northern Ireland Office have been enabled to work from home for part of the week in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The number of staff working at home for part of the week in each of the last three years is:
	
		
			  Department  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 DARD 0 0 0 
			 DCAL 0 0 0 
			 DE(1) 60 61 63 
			 DEL 0 1 1 
			 DETI 0 0 0 
			 DFP 0 1 2 
			 DHSSPS 0 0 0 
			 DOE 0 0 0 
			 DRD 0 0 1 
			 DSD 0 0 0 
			 NIO 0 0 0 
			 OFMDFM 0 1 1 
			 Total 60 64 68 
			 (1) Includes a group of 60 inspectors who are recruited on the basis that they will work from home. 
		
	
	These figures only include staff who have a formal working at home arrangement agreed with their Department. These arrangements may be agreed for example as a reasonable adjustment under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, under the flexible working provisions of the Employment (NI) Order 2002, or to aid a return from sickness absence.
	All Departments have previously indicated that local managers may allow staff to work at home on an ad hoc basis. These arrangements are informal and no monitoring of this pattern of working is currently carried out. Information on this type of home working could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The NICS is currently developing a Working at Home policy that will formalise arrangements for working away from the office and will allow all staff to apply to work at home provided the job, the individual and their home are suitable and the business can sustain the proposed arrangement.

Military Personnel

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many military personnel from Northern Ireland have died in each of the last five years.

Adam Ingram: I have been asked to reply.
	Residential data are not held centrally and cannot be collated without incurring disproportionate cost.

Money Laundering

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will introduce legislation to make money laundering a terrorist-related offence.

Shaun Woodward: Money laundering of terrorist property (Section 18 of the Terrorism Act 2000) is already a scheduled offence.
	Scheduling all money laundering activities would only affect those offences that were committed after the offence became scheduled. As the Diplock court system is due to be repealed in July 2007, this would be a short term measure affecting only a tiny number of cases.
	I am therefore focusing on a longer term solution. Consideration is currently being given to how trials in which there may be paramilitary or community based pressures on a jury can be addressed in the longer term. Measures will be brought forward in due course.

Omagh Bomb (Compensation Claims)

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many compensation claims have been lodged following the Omagh bomb.

Peter Hain: The Compensation Agency received 852 claims for criminal injury compensation and 220 claims for criminal damage compensation following the Omagh Bomb.

Police Officers (Injuries)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police officers have been injured in the course of their duties in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is contained in the following table.
	
		
			   Cause  
			  Year  Gunshot wound  Explosion  Other  Total 
			 2003 2 16 114 132 
			 2004 0 0 136 136 
			 2005(1) 0 111 292 403 
			 (1 )2005 statistics are provisional and may be subject to minor amendment.   Note:  The increase in the figures for 2005 is largely due to the Whiterock riots.

Police Services

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how often he has met the  (a) Police ombudsman, (b) Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable, (c) Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice, (d) Justice Oversight Commissioner and (e) Policing Oversight Commissioner in each month since he became Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Peter Hain: I have very regular meetings with the Chief Constable, including a regular session along with the General Officer Commanding and others concerned with security policy at approximately monthly intervals. I have met the Police Ombudsman on a number of occasions and we have agreed to hold formal meetings approximately every six months. I met the Policing Oversight Commissioner in June 2005. I have not yet had a formal meeting with the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice or the Justice Oversight Commissioner.

Rates

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the effect on public funds in Northern Ireland for 2006-07 of the  (a) increase in Regional Rate of 19 per cent., (b) introduction of 25 per cent. of the full business rates for manufacturing companies and  (c) removal of non-rated basis for vacant premises.

David Hanson: The increase in the Regional Rate of19 per cent. will raise an estimated additional£42.1 million in 2006-07 from domestic properties in Northern Ireland.
	The introduction of 25 per cent. of the full business rate for industrial companies is estimated to raise total revenue of £18.2 million in 2006-07, an increase of£7.5 million on last year when the rate liability for industry was 15 per cent. of the full bill.
	Non-domestic vacant rating is estimated to raise a total of £5.5 million in 2006-07, an increase of£0.3 million on last year.
	These estimates may change as a consequence of updates to collection and valuation information.

Senior Citizens (Crime Statistics)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many senior citizens have been  (a) burgled and  (b) assaulted in their home in each (i) police district and (ii) council area in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is only available by District Command Unit and is contained in the following tables.
	
		
			  Domestic burglary offences recorded where the victim is aged 65 plus 
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 Northern Ireland 1278 1727 1962 1573 1109 
			   
			 Antrim 19 20 34 20 13 
			 Ards 48 51 76 76 34 
			 East Belfast 99 161 173 110 82 
			 North Belfast 84 89 96 79 135 
			 South Belfast 82 104 101 103 82 
			 West Belfast 24 24 25 17 25 
			 Carrickfergus 10 20 19 11 13 
			 Castlereagh 30 110 101 69 33 
			 Larne 19 25 27 11 10 
			 Lisburn 76 111 108 119 72 
			 Newtownabbey 55 88 76 57 65 
			 North Down 72 94 168 129 56 
			 Armagh 60 70 89 51 47 
			 Banbridge 34 60 54 43 34 
			 Ballymena 87 49 60 61 38 
			 Ballymoney 8 13 26 10 7 
			 Coleraine 33 57 47 34 21 
			 Cookstown 20 31 21 20 10 
			 Craigavon 84 110 133 99 59 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 51 50 59 47 44 
			 Down 47 90 93 59 25 
			 Fermanagh 40 43 37 46 34 
			 Foyle 21 48 73 75 43 
			 Limavady 10 12 21 19 6 
			 Magherafelt 14 17 15 7 3 
			 Moyle 8 11 10 9 5 
			 Newry and Mourne 89 107 147 94 93 
			 Omagh 30 36 44 67 17 
			 Strabane 24 26 29 31 3 
			   
			 Percentage of crimes where age of victim is unknown 25.5 11.3 8.4 5.7 2.4 
		
	
	
		
			  Assault( 1)  offences recorded where the victim is aged 65 plus 
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 Northern Ireland 155 155 203 251 253 
			   
			 Antrim 1 4 1 5 4 
			 Ards 8 7 12 16 13 
			 East Belfast 10 10 11 17 8 
			 North Belfast 14 14 18 21 19 
			 South Belfast 9 14 15 7 17 
			 West Belfast 14 12 9 7 13 
			 Carrickfergus 1 0 4 2 2 
			 Castlereagh 2 4 8 7 8 
			 Larne 3 2 3 2 1 
			 Lisburn 12 8 15 13 25 
			 Newtownabbey 7 9 9 14 12 
			 North Down 3 4 10 10 5 
			 Armagh 3 6 7 4 4 
			 Banbridge 3 5 8 11 9 
			 Ballymena 4 3 10 14 18 
			 Ballymoney 1 3 4 1 2 
			 Coleraine 5 6 5 4 12 
			 Cookstown 2 1 1 11 6 
			 Craigavon 6 6 13 17 10 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 1 3 4 4 3 
			 Down 4 5 3 3 9 
			 Fermanagh 1 6 4 4 8 
			 Foyle 12 9 6 16 9 
			 Limavady 0 1 0 r 5 
			 Magherafelt 6 0 2 9 4 
			 Moyle 1 1 5 2 4 
			 Newry and Mourne 11 6 7 14 9 
			 Omagh 3 4 6 6 9 
			 Strabane 8 2 3 9 5 
			   
			 Percentage of crimes where age of victim is unknown 16.2 4.9 0.7 0.2 0.7 
			 (1 )Assault includes wounding with intent, GBH with intent, wounding, GBH, AOABH, aggravated and common assault. Assaults cannot be specifically broken down by location.

Social Security Agency (Staff Transfer)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions Northern Ireland Social Security Agency staff have been transferred to posts against the written advice of their general practitioner that such a move would have an adverse effect upon their health.

David Hanson: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, it should be noted that there have been occasions when such transfers have taken place.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Bernadette Graham

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the inquest into the death of Bernadette Graham of Cushendall will be completed.

Bridget Prentice: Following the conclusion of the police investigation and having sought the views of the family on the holding of an inquest, the coroner has decided not to hold an inquest into the death of Bernadette Graham. A certificate was sent to the registrar of deaths on 23 February 2006 stating the cause of death as disclosed by the report of the post-mortem examination.

Community Legal Service

Julie Morgan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the percentage of callers to Community Legal Service (CLS) Direct that  (a) have already sought advice on the same matter from face-to-face service providers and  (b) seek similar advice subsequent to their contact with CLS Direct.

Vera Baird: This information is not held centrally. However, in the period July 2004 to December 2005,33 per cent. of Community Legal Service Direct specialist advice clients found out about the service from a solicitor or other advice agency. In the same period, 16 per cent. of Community Legal Service Direct specialist advice clients were either referred to another organisation or their cases continued under different CLS funding.

Community Legal Service

Julie Morgan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what percentage of callers to the Community Legal Service Direct specialist helpline have been subsequently subject to a full means assessment since its inception.

Vera Baird: Community Legal Service Direct specialist advice clients are subject to a two-stage means assessment process. All callers are entitled to 30 minutes of free advice. After 30 minutes all clients are subject to a simplified 'proxy' means assessment, which they must pass if they are to receive further advice. After two hours total advice all clients are subject to the full 'Legal Help' means assessment process, which they must pass if they are to receive further advice.
	In the period July 2004 to December 2005, 33 per cent. of Community Legal Service Direct specialist advice clients were subject to means assessment.
	Of these, 28 per cent. of clients were subject to the simplified means assessment, having received30 minutes of free advice. A further 5 per cent. of clients were subject to both the simplified means assessment after 30 minutes advice and subsequently the full signed and verified 'Legal Help' means assessment process after two hours of advice.

Community Legal Service

Julie Morgan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what percentage of Welsh resident callers to Community Legal Service Direct have been referred to local specialist advisers since its inception, broken down by unitary authority of residence.

Vera Baird: The percentage of Community Legal Service (CLS) Direct specialist advice cases that were referred to another organisation or that continued under different CLS funding, broken down by Welsh unitary authority, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Unitary authority  July 2004 to December 2005 (percentage) 
			 Abertawe/Swansea 38.8 
			 Blaenau Gwent/Blaenau Gwent 16.2 
			 Bro Morgannwg/The Vale of Glamorgan 17.1 
			 Caerdydd/Cardiff 22.7 
			 Caerffili/Caerphilly 15.5 
			 Casnewydd/Newport 19.4 
			 Castell-Nedd Port Talbot/Neath Port Talbot 37.2 
			 Conwy/Conwy 19.1 
			 Gwynedd/Gwynedd 21.7 
			 Merthyr Tudful/Merthyr Tydfil 18.2 
			 Pen-Y-Bont Ar Ogwr/Bridgend 26.9 
			 Powys/Powys 34.1 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taf/Rhondda Cynon Taff 29.1 
			 Sir Benfro/Pembrokeshire 35.7 
			 Sir Ceredigion/Ceredigion 36.8 
			 Sir Ddinbych/Denbighshire 12.3 
			 Sir Fynwy/Monmouthshire 15.2 
			 Sir Gaerfyrddin/Carmarthenshire 37.4 
			 Sir Y Fflint/Flintshire 20.0 
			 Sir Ynys Mon/Isle of Anglesey 22.0 
			 Tor-Faen/Torfaen 16.4 
			 Wrecsam/Wrexham 14.8 
			 Wales total 31.5

Departmental Energy Costs

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was spent by her Department on  (a) gas and  (b) electricity in 2004-05.

Bridget Prentice: The amount spent in 2004-05 by my Department was £2,027,000.00 for natural gas and £3,978,485.00 for electricity.

Electoral Register (Christchurch/East Dorset)

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  for what reasons the  (a) Christchurch and  (b) East Dorset constituency was omitted from the answer given on30 November 2005,  Official Report, column 642W;
	(2)  whether part of the marked electoral register for  (a) Christchurch and  (b) East Dorset constituency is missing.

Bridget Prentice: The contractors for the 2005 General Election electoral documents storage, and administration of the marked registers viewing and copying service, have informed officials from my Department that they have no record of receiving any reports suggesting that Christchurch constituency had pages missing from its marked register.
	There is no constituency of East Dorset. The Dorset constituencies are as follows:
	Mid Dorset and Poole North
	North Dorset
	South Dorset
	West Dorset
	Of these constituencies, North Dorset has been identified as having pages missing from its 2005 marked electoral register, and this was included in the answer given on 30 November.

Legal Advice

Andrew Love: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what work is being undertaken within Government to co-ordinate the provision of legal advice services; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: On 23 March 2006 the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) published "Getting earlier, better advice to vulnerable people" (www.dca.gov.uk/laid/betteradvice.pdf). This report notes that different areas of Government must work together more effectively to commission advice that fits people's needs and recommends that the DCA and Legal Services Commission (LSC) work with other Government Departments to ensure that people can easily access appropriate advice across the full range of problems that they face. In particular, the report recommends improving co-ordination between the LSC's CLS Direct service and other Government funded helplines. The report also links to the LSC's Community Legal Service Strategy which sets out how the LSC will work in partnership with local authorities to deliver legal advice services.

Legal Aid

Julie Morgan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of whether people who are financially eligible for legal aid prefer receiving specialist advice via  (a) a telephone helpline and  (b) a local provider.

Vera Baird: Information is not held centrally on the preferred method of access to specialist advice for members of the public who are financially eligible for Legal Aid.
	Responses made in March 2006 to a Community Legal Service Direct client satisfaction questionnaire indicated that 93 per cent. of telephone advice clients were either very satisfied or quite satisfied with the service they received.

Parliamentary Boundaries

David Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the proposals of the latest review of parliamentary boundaries will be implemented; when the next review will  (a) commence and  (b) conclude; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England is an independent body which is required, by the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, to keep English parliamentary boundaries under constant review and conduct a general review every 8-12 years. It is expected that its present report will be submitted to the government by the end of this year. It will then be laid before Parliament by the Government
	"as soon as may be".
	The next report will then be submitted, under the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, no less than eight years and no more than 12 years from the date the current report is received by the Government.

Specialist Support Service

Julie Morgan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many calls to the Specialist Support Service telephone advice line have been made by Welsh residents since its inception, broken down by unitary authority.

Vera Baird: The Specialist Support Service is a telephone advice line available to lawyers and advice providers working on complex legal cases. It is not available to the public in England or Wales.

Wales

Julie Morgan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions she had with the Welsh Assembly Government before the announcement of  (a) the withdrawal of funding for the Wales Specialist Support Service and  (b) the announcement that the Legal Services Commission's Wales office would be reduced over the next five years.

Vera Baird: The provision of funding for legal advice services in Wales is the responsibility of the Legal Services Commission (LSC). Senior officials in the LSC regularly meet with representatives from the Welsh Assembly Government to discuss key issues, including the future of the Specialist Support Service and the organisational review of the Commission.

Wales

Julie Morgan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions she has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the transfer of responsibility for planning future legal advice services in Wales.

Vera Baird: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is responsible for provision of publicly funded legal advice services in England and Wales. The LSC is working closely with the Welsh Assembly Government to develop the future accountability and structure of legal services within Wales.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Brownfield Development

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he plans to restate the guidance regarding brownfield land contained in the current planning policy guidance note 3 when it is re-issued as planning policy statement 3; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: We will be considering responses received on brownfield land arising from the consultation exercise which closed in February, in finalising planning policy statement 3—Housing—later this year.

Building Regulations

Colin Challen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many local authorities employ inspectors who are qualified to certify installations under Part P of the building regulations.

Angela Smith: The Department does not keep statistics on local authority building control staff who work on Part P or more generally.

Business Rates

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many non-domestic properties classed as  (a) hotels,  (b) hostels and  (c) bed and breakfast were on the Ratings List and liable for business rates in England in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: The number of properties classed as  (a) hotels,  (b) hostels and  (c) bed and breakfast in the 2005 Rating List for England, at 31 January 2006, is shown in the following table. The number for properties in  (c) are those described in the Rating List as guest and boarding houses. Liability is a matter for the billing authorities.
	
		
			   Number 
			  (a) Hotels 7,088 
			  (b) Hostels 1,180 
			  (c) Bed and breakfast 7,558

Community Infrastructure

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much of the community infrastructure fund has been allocated; and how much remains to be allocated.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 8 May 2006
	In total £193 million of the £200 million community infrastructure fund has been allocated by Government to support transport infrastructure schemes in the four growth areas. The remaining £7 million is to be used as a contingency reserve to address any emerging issues that may arise over this two-year programme.

Community Infrastructure

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will announce further allocations from the community infrastructure fund.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 8 May 2006
	An announcement was made on 11 April 2006 of the final tranche of schemes approved under the community infrastructure fund. A copy of the press notice that accompanied this final announcement can be found on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister website at http://www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882&Press NoticeID=2142
	In addition the Government provide infrastructure funding in growth areas through the growth area fund.

Departmental Expenditure

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2006 to the hon. Member for Angus,  Official Report, column 914W, on departmental expenditure, if he will list each external consultancy employed by his Department in each year from 2002-03 to 2005-06; and what the purpose of the consultancy contract was in each case.

Angela Smith: A list of the top external consultancies by value employed the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in each year since 2002-03 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  ODPM consultants 
			  Name  Project 
			  2005-06  
			 PA Consulting Group Firecontrol, Home Information Packs 
			 Serco Government Consulting New Dimension 
			 Mott MacDonald Ltd. Firelink 
			 Fabermaunsell Ltd. Building Regulations Research 
			 IBM UK Ltd. Planning Portal 
			 Xansa UK Ltd. Home Information Packs 
			 Top 6 consultants account for 57 per cent. of annual invoiced expenditure 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 PA Consulting Group Firecontrol, Home Information Packs, Best Value Intervention Costs, Skills and Knowledge 
			 Marshall Specialist Vehicles Ltd. Urban Search and Rescue 
			 Scout Solutions Projects Ltd. Housing Mobility Programme 
			 Mott MacDonald Ltd. Firelink, Planners and Trainers 
			 Serco Government Consulting Frontline Equipment, Civilian Resilience Directorate Research, Mass Decontamination, Urban Search and Rescue 
			 Grayling UK Ltd. Sustainable Communities Summit 
			 Fabermaunsell Building Regulations Research 
			 SOW Ltd. Neighbourhood Management Pathfinders, New Ventures research 
			 Turner and Townsend Fire Control Rooms 
			 Hedra Plc. eBusiness Transformation, Government Office Regional Portal, Small Area Data 
			 Pricewaterhousecoopers Gypsy Site Grants, Housing and Homelessness Research, Best Value Intervention Costs 
			 Top 11 consultants account for 65 per cent. of annual invoiced expenditure  
			   
			  2003-04  
			 Marshall Specialist Vehicles Ltd. New Dimension, Training, Urban Search and Rescue 
			 Capgemini UK Plc. Housing Care and Support 
			 XANSA Grant and Subsidy Payments (3) 
			 Mott MacDonald Urban Search and Rescue, FireLink, Corporate Governance Planners and Trainers 
			 PA Consulting Group New Ventures research, Best Value Intervention Costs, Central Skills and Knowledge 
			 Pricewaterhousecoopers Planning Consultancy, Gypsy Site Grants, 360 degree Coaching, Housing Care and Support, Best Value Intervention Costs, Local Government Research 
			 Top 6 consultants account for 69 per cent. of annual invoiced expenditure 
		
	
	In addition the Office has engaged a further 100 consultancy firms to provide support to the working of the office. The full list could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Office in response to the need to develop sustainable homes and communities consultants has been engaged to support the development of system processes. The skills required for these programmes were not available from civil servants. In addition consultants have been engaged by ODPM to support the delivery of projects to enhance the ability of the Fire and Rescue Service to respond to major incidents. The work undertaken by consultants includes radio engineering expertise for the new radio systems for the Fire and Rescue Service; also, logistical support and design for responding to a chemical, biological, radioactive or nuclear incident and search and rescue incidents. Some 60 per cent. of expenditure has been in support of these projects.

Energy Efficiency

Joan Walley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the report on the thermal performance of multi-foil insulation prepared under his Department's domestic buildings energy performance project.

Angela Smith: I have placed a copy of the BRE (Building Research Establishment) report "The thermal performance of multi-foil insulation" in the Library of the House.

Fire Services

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fire brigade strikes there have been in each of the past five years; how many brigades were affected in each case; and on how many of those occasions a back-up service was not provided by the Army.

Angela Smith: In the past five years strikes in the Fire and Rescue Service have occurred as follows:
	2001—Merseyside fire and rescue service.
	2002 to 2003—National fire strike in all fire and rescue services in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
	2004—No strikes.
	2005—Suffolk fire and rescue service and West Midlands fire and rescue service.
	On all of these occasions, the armed forces provided basic emergency fire cover. In the case of the Suffolk fire strike in 2004 armed forces support was deployed to the county but never actually used, as other arrangements proved sufficient.

Government Offices

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost has been of information campaigns undertaken by Government Offices for the Regions since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: This information is not held centrally by the Regional Co-ordination Unit, corporate centre of the Government Offices for the English Regions, and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to increase the number of units of  (a) social and  (b) affordable housing in West Lancashire constituency.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not hold this information at a constituency level, and outputs in individual local authorities vary over time, as Housing Corporation allocations are made on a regional and sub-regional basis.
	In 2004-06, 27 units of social rented housing were provided in West Lancashire local authority. For 2006-08, the Affordable Housing Programme includes the allocation of resources for the provision of a further six units of social housing and 35 new shared equity housing units in West Lancashire under the new HomeBuy scheme. Not all of these will be completed in the two year timeframe.
	Further units may be provided under the Private Finance Initiative and through planning obligations.

Housing

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many and what proportion of homes were estimated to be non-decent homes according to the English Housing Conditions Survey, in each year since 1990, broken down by  (a) owner occupier,  (b) private sector rented,  (c) local authority,  (d) housing association and (e) other housing.

Yvette Cooper: The "English House Condition Survey 2004: Headline report" (ODPM, 2006) includes details of households living in homes that did not meet the decent homes standard by tenure in 1996, 2001, 2003 and 2004 (the years the survey was carried out). Data for surveys before 1996 are not sufficient to provide robust estimates. The report is available on the ODPM website at www.odpm.gov.uk/ehcs.

Housing

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance has been given to Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders about access to meetings, papers and records by  (a) the general public,  (b) representatives of local voluntary organisations,  (c) elected councillors and  (d) hon. Members.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 9 May 2006
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not issued any guidance but papers and records are available on request.
	All nine housing market renewal pathfinders are expected to pursue a policy of openness and this is encouraged by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the pathfinder local authorities.

Local Government Restructuring (Ministerial Meetings)

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answers of 30 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 1217-18W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) on local government restructuring and on ministerial meetings, if he will place in the Library a copy of  (a) the minutes and  (b) presentation notes and handouts from each of those meetings.

Phil Woolas: Notes of each county dialogue event will be published on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister website in due course. At the same time, copies will be placed in the Library of the House. Formal presentations were not made by Ministers or ODPM officials nor were handouts supplied at the dialogue events.

Local Government Strikes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent guidance the Government have issued to local authorities in relation to contingency planning for local government strikes.

Phil Woolas: The impact of strikes by local authority employees is different in different areas. It is generally a matter for local government to prepare contingency plans. ODPM has issued no guidance in relation tothe recent strike action. The Local Government Employers has prepared extensive guidance on planning for industrial action, some of which was issued as bulletin to local authorities.

Peterborough and Cambridgeshire Fire Authority

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many  (a) full-time and  (b) retained firefighters have (i) been employed and (ii) taken early retirement in the Peterborough and Cambridgeshire Fire Authority in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The number of firefighters in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire and Rescue Authority that have (i) been employed in each year since 1997 and (ii) taken ill-health retirement since 1998-99 is presented in the table. Information on ill-health retirement prior to 1998-99 is not held centrally.
	
		
			  Number of firefighters in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and Fire and Rescue Authority 
			   Wholetime  Retained Duty System 
			 1997 265 340 
			 1998 262 362 
			 1999 263 365 
			 2000 263 364 
			 2001 276 371 
			 2002 274 344 
			 2003 273 327 
			 2004 285 350 
			 2005(1) 273 369 
			 (1) Provisional data.   Note:  The figures provided are a snapshot at 31 March each year.   Source:  ODPM annual returns 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of firefighter ill-health retirements in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire and Rescue Authority 
			   Wholetime  Retained duty system 
			 1998-99 7 2 
			 1999-2000 6 0 
			 2000-01 6 3 
			 2001-02 9 2 
			 2002-03 4 0 
			 2003-04 2 1 
			 2004005(1) 6 1 
			 (1) Provisional data.   Source: ODPM annual returns

Recruitment

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies spent on recruitment, search and selection agencies in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The Office was formed on 29 May 2002. The information requested from that date is as follows:
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			  2002-03  
			 ODPM 604,383.00 
			 Agencies 49,462.86 
			   
			  2003-04  
			 ODPM 684,127.50 
			 Agencies 46,340.83 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 ODPM 446,548.83 
			 Agencies 16,415.17 
			   
			  2005-06  
			 ODPM 370,232.23 
			 Agencies 0

Regional Administration

Robert Syms: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the annual expenditure has been of each of the Government Offices of the Regions in each year since their creation.

Yvette Cooper: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The administrative running costs for each Government Office for the period since their creation are detailed in the following table. The table includes the current expenditure recorded for the financial year just completed, 2005-06.
	 (b) Programme budgets administered by the Government Offices are the responsibility of the Secretaries of State for the relevant sponsor Departments. Information is however contained in GO Annual Reports, as was referred to in the answer to PQ 3342 tabled by the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar in October 2004.
	
		
			  Government Office Administrative Running Costs 
			  Amount £000 
			  GO  1995-96  1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01 
			 North East 8,842.76 8,687.15 8,616.75 8,618.84 8,312.05 8,197.33 
			
			 North West 9,983.71 9,839.09 9,442.59 13,690.13 13,048.58 13,651.03 
			 Merseyside 4,753.84 4,349.95 4,199.53 12.24 — — 
			 Total MW-M 14,737.55 14,189.04 13,642.12 13,702.37 13,048.58 13,651.03 
			
			 Yorks & Humber 9,060.51 8,765.04 8,475.01 8,683.92 8,888.68 9,357.48 
			 West Midlands 10,435.73 10,040.37 9,757.79 9,474.35 9,330.15 9,960.76 
			 East Midlands 7,116.85 6,616.67 6,436.24 6,754.39 6,951.28 7,335.77 
			 East 6,122.84 6,168.97 6,270.62 6,269.43 7,005.47 7,542.48 
			 South West 7,574.14 7,140.74 6,825.73 6,985.03 7,796.87 8,711.38 
			 South East 8,331.06 8,406.18 8,544.99 8,561.40 8,658.61 9,477.26 
			 London 11,106.26 14,106.47 13,458.82 13,238.12 13,715.79 13,860.98 
			 Total 83,327.70 84,120.63 82,028.07 82,287.85 83,707.48 88,094.47 
		
	
	
		
			  Amount £000 
			  GO  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06* 
			 North East 9,002.29 9,954.46 12,167.24 13,887.09 13,138.16 
			   
			 North West 15,344.87 15,523.52 16,808.94 17,777.86 17,745.45 
			 Merseyside — — — — — 
			 Total MW-M 15,344.87 15,523.52 16,808.94 17,777.86 17,745.45 
			   
			 Yorks & Humber 10,036.85 10,943.77 12,480.23 13,453.18 13,494.30 
			 West Midlands 10,295.51 10,662.85 13,381.47 15,286.08 14,497.15 
			 East Midlands 8,244.80 8,713.24 11,153.67 11,937.13 12,530.66 
			 East 8,631.95 9,355.85 12,841.51 15,075.61 13,296.12 
			 South West 10,666.90 11,860.77 13,960.23 14,724.92 14,823.08 
			 South East 10,326.44 10,874.74 14,099.03 14,372.51 14,624.51 
			 London 13,161.20 14,038.84 16,654.91 18,870.09 18,483.70 
			 Total 95,710.81 101,928.04 123,547.22 135,384.47 132,633.13 
			  Notes: 1. GO-North West and GO-Merseyside merged during 1998-99. 2. Expenditure for 2005-06—as at April 2006 (before production of final accounts).

Regional Administration

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the  (a) total budget and  (b) administrative costs were of each of the Government offices for the regions in each year since their creation; and what the estimated figure is for 2006-07.

Yvette Cooper: The information is as follows.
	 (a) Programme budgets administered by the Government offices are the responsibility of the Secretaries of State for the relevant sponsor Departments. Information is however contained in GO Annual Reports, as was referred to in an answer to PQ 3342 tabled by the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar in October 2004.
	 (b) The administrative running costs for each Government office for the period since their creation are detailed in the following table. The table includes the current expenditure recorded for the financial year just completed, 2005-06 and the initial budget allocation for 2006-07.
	
		
			  Government Office Administrative Running Costs 
			  Amount in £000 
			  GO  1995-96  1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01 
			 North East 8,842.76 8,687.15 8,616.75 8,618.84 8,312.05 8,197.33 
			
			 North West 9,983.71 9,839.09 9,442.59 13,690.13 13,048.58 13,651.03 
			 Merseyside 4,753.84 4,349.95 4,199.53 12.24 — — 
			 Total MW/M 14,737.55 14,189.04 13,642.12 13,702.37 13,048.58 13,651.03 
			
			 Yorks & Humber 9,060.51 8,765.04 8,475.01 8,683.92 8,888.68 9,357.48 
			 West Midlands 10,435.73 10,040.37 9,757.79 9,474.35 9,330.15 9,960.76 
			 East Midlands 7,116.85 6,616.67 6,436.24 6,754.39 6,951.28 7,335.77 
			 East 6,122.84 6,168.97 6,270.62 6,269.43 7,005.47 7,542.48 
			 South West 7,574.14 7,140.74 6,825.73 6,985.03 7,796.87 8,711.38 
			 South East 8,331.06 8,406.18 8,544.99 8,561.40 8,658.61 9,477.26 
			 London 11,106.26 14,106.47 13,458.82 13,238.12 13,715.79 13,860.98 
			 Total 83,327.70 84,120.63 82,028.07 82,287.85 83,707.48 88,094.47 
		
	
	
		
			  £000 
			  GO  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 North East 9,002.29 9,954.46 12,167.24 13,887.09 13,138.16 13,055.28 
			
			 North West 15,344.87 15,523.52 16,808.94 17,777.86 17,745.45 17,400.06 
			 Merseyside — — — — — — 
			 Total MW/M 15,344.87 15,523.52 16,808.94 17,777.86 17,745.45 17,400.06 
			
			 Yorks & Humber 10,036.85 10,943.77 12,480.23 13,453.18 13,494.30 13,286.28 
			 West Midlands 10,295.51 10,662.85 13,381.47 15,286.08 14,497.15 14,972.21 
			 East Midlands 8,244.80 8,713.24 11,153.67 11,937.13 12,530.66 11,495.78 
			 East 8,631.95 9,355.85 12,841.51 15,075.61 13,296.12 12,672.06 
			 South West 10,666.90 11,860.77 13,960.23 14,724.92 14,823.08 14,766.46 
			 South East 10,326.44 10,874.74 14,099.03 14,372.51 14,624.51 14,094.74 
			 London 13,161.20 14,038.84 16,654.91 18,870.09 18,483.70 17,881.17 
			 Total 95,710.81 101,928.04 123,547.22 135,384.47 132,633.13 129,624.04 
			  Notes: 1. GO-North West and GO-Merseyside merged during 1998-99. 2. Expenditure for 2005-06—as at April 2006 (before production of final accounts) 3. Figures for 2006/07 relate to initial GO budgets as at end-March 2006.

Rise Associates

Oliver Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many tenders Rise Associates have submitted to his Department in each of the last five years; and how many were successful.

Angela Smith: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was formed in May 2002 and information prior to this date is not readily available. Since that date there have been no successful tenders for Rise Associates. The number of tenders submitted during this period is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Rise Associates

Oliver Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many contracts his Department holds with Rise Associates which have a potential duration of five years or more.

Angela Smith: ODPM has no existing contracts with Rise Associates.

Rise Associates

Oliver Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many applications for regeneration monies have been submitted by Rise Associates to his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what the value is of those which were successful.

Angela Smith: No regeneration monies have been paid directly by the Department to Rise Associates. The Department maintains a record of funding to its agencies, but this does not include details of any payments made by agencies to third party organisations for services.

Rushenden Link Road

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will announce the funding for the Rushenden link road.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 8 May 2006
	Officials within Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are in dialogue with the South East of England Development Agency to consider how regeneration in the area of Queenborough and Rushenden can be progressed, and the issue of the Rushenden relief road.

Stock Transfers

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which local authorities have  (a) transferred their housing stock and  (b) set up an arm's length management organisation; how many properties were involved in each case; and how much debt was written off as a result in each case.

Yvette Cooper: A list of all local authority housing stock transfers and arms length management organisations and the number of properties involved in each case has been place in the Library of the House. For transfers we have provided the amount of local authority debt repaid by central Government. The list shows the one off payment that was made to discharge the Office's continued liability, through the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), to pay subsidy on an authority's housing attributable debt that remains after transfer. This option of paying off debt, as opposed to continuing to pay subsidy, was introduced in 1999 following consultation and is not an extra cost, it is largely a question of when the liability to meet the cost of HRA debt is discharged. There is no debt repayment for ALMOs as the local authority continues to be support through the HRA subsidy system.

Valuation Office Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the communications strategy prepared by the Valuation Office Agency for the council tax revaluation in England.

Phil Woolas: The communications strategy drafted by the Valuation Office Agency for the currently postponed council tax revaluation in England was prepared as an input to the formulation and development of Government policy and it is not therefore appropriate to place this in the public domain.

Wiring Regulations

Robert Key: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which professional body oversees compliance with the Wiring Regulations and British Standard 7671.

Angela Smith: British Standard 7671 is also known as the Wiring Regulations. It is a code of practice and is the UK national standard for electrical installation work. The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is the professional body responsible for maintaining the standard, but it does not oversee compliance with the standard. Complying with BS 7671 is a way of meeting the requirements of the Electricity at Work Regulations and the Building Regulations Part P (Electrical safety in dwellings). These regulations are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive and Local Authority Building Control respectively.

HEALTH

Alcohol Misuse Programmes

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding she has made available for alcohol misuse programmes through the pooled treatment budget for substance misuse.

Caroline Flint: The Department has made no funding available specifically for alcohol misuse treatment through the pooled drug treatment budget, as this budget is intended for the funding of drug treatment. National health service primary care trusts are responsible for commissioning alcohol misuse treatment according to local need.

Alcohol Misuse Programmes

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to create a separate agency to take forward the alcohol strategy.

Caroline Flint: The Government have no plans to create a separate agency to take forward the alcohol strategy.

Anatomy Act

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will seek to amend the Anatomy Act 1984 to prevent the public exhibition for profit of plasticised cadavers; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The public exhibition of human bodies is not covered by the Anatomy Act 1984, which regulates the donation and use of bodies for anatomical examination.
	From 1 September 2006, it will be unlawful under the Human Tissue Act 2004 to store or use human bodies, organs and tissues for public display, without a licence from the Human Tissue Authority.

Audiology Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the timescale for the replacement of all NHS analogue hearing aids with digital ones.

Ivan Lewis: It is for primary care trusts to plan and commission appropriate services for their local population including those who require digital hearing aids.
	We have no estimate of the timescale for replacing analogue hearing aids with digital ones. This should be done as part of the routine maintenance programme for individuals based on their clinical need.

Bone Density Scanning

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what routine bone density scanning programmes are being operated by each of the primary care trusts covering Portsmouth and who is routinely screened by each trust.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not held centrally.

Bone Density Scanning

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bone density scanning machines are available in each of the primary care trusts covering Portsmouth.

Caroline Flint: There is one bone densitometry scanner available to serve the Portsmouth and South East Hampshire healthcare community.

Bone Density Scanning

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is for a bone density scan in each of the primary care trusts covering Portsmouth.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Bowel Cancer

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what funding is being allocated to the roll-out of the bowel cancer screening programme for the financial year  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2008-09;
	(2)  how many testing kits for the bowel cancer screening programme have been ordered for the first year of the screening programme;
	(3)  for what reasons Rugby was chosen as the first location for the bowel cancer screening programme; and what resources will be provided to the Hospital of St. Cross to facilitate the continuation of the programme after April.
	(4)  which locations are being considered as suitable for hubs for the bowel cancer screening programme; what criteria are used to determine the location of hubs; and when decisions will be made;
	(5)  how many people were tested for bowel cancer as part of the screening pilot in Rugby between April 2005 and March 2006; and how many people will be tested in the following 12 months;
	(6)  what estimate she has made of the number of lives saved as a result of the bowel cancer screening pilot in Rugby since 2000; and what the estimated gains are for cancer survival rates as a result of the bowel cancer screening programme in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2008-09;

Rosie Winterton: The national bowel cancer screening programme will be rolled out nationally over the next three years. Funding for the first year of the screening programme is being transferred to the national cancer screening team in Sheffield, and Wolverhampton will be the first local screening centre. We estimate that around £10 million will be spent on the first stages of the national bowel cancer screening programme. Funding decisions have not yet been made for future years but we are committed to ensuring that the necessary funding is available to ensure the full implementation of the programme.
	NHS cancer screening programmes are taking all the necessary action to ensure the successful roll-out of the programme, including the procurement of testing kits. The kit supplier has been notified that the first order is for 100,000 kits.
	Five programme hubs across England will invite men and women to participate in the screening programme, send out the faecal occult blood (FOB) testing kits, interpret kits and send results out. 90 to 100 local screening centres will provide endoscopy services for the 2 per cent, of men and women who have a positive FOB test result.
	The pilot in Rugby will continue to run as planned to the end of March 2007. In addition, the first of the five programme hubs will also be established by March 2007, with announcements to be made in due course.
	NHS cancer screening programmes are currently considering where the five programme hubs will be located. We intend to establish the other four programme hubs by March 2007, with announcements to be made in due course.
	24,345 people were tested in Rugby between April 2005 and March 2006. In the next 12 months they will be inviting a further 28,360 people.
	We estimate that the number of lives saved as a result of the bowel cancer screening pilot is between 100 to 150. Our expectation is to reduce deaths in the population invited for screening by 15 per cent.

Bowel Cancer

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the representations made by Cancer Research UK concerning the implementation of the bowel cancer screening programme; what steps are being taken by the Government to establish the programme on a national basis from 1 April onwards and what the timing is of such steps; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 2552-53W, on colon cancer, how many of the 217 people diagnosed with bowel cancer as a result of the bowel cancer screening pilot are still alive; how many of the 959 people diagnosed with bowel polyps subsequently underwent treatment for the removal of those polyps; and what estimate she has made of the number of people likely to be diagnosed with  (a) bowel cancer and  (b) bowel polyps when bowel cancer screening is fully operational as proposed in the White Paper.

Rosie Winterton: The national bowel cancer screening programme will be rolled out nationally over the next three years. Funding for the first year of the screening programme is being transferred to the national cancer screening team in Sheffield, and Wolverhampton will be the first local screening centre. We intend that all five programme hubs will be established and around 14 local screening centres will be operating, out of a total of 90 to 100 for full national coverage, by March 2007.
	We do not hold data on how many of the 217 people diagnosed with bowel cancer as a result of the bowel cancer screening pilot are still alive.
	The clinicians in Rugby have advised that all persons diagnosed with bowel polyps have been treated.
	Once the bowel cancer screening programme is fully operational we would estimate that around 2 per cent, of all those screened will have a positive FOB test result. Of these around 10 per cent. will have bowel cancer and approximately 45 per cent. will have polyps.

Breast Screening

Celia Barlow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what extent her Department took demographic changes into account when developing the NHS Breast Screening Programme.

Rosie Winterton: The Department is aware of the growing number of women becoming eligible for breast screening, as women born in the post-war baby boom reach their fiftieth birthdays. This increase is expected to peak in 2015, resulting in a 20 per cent. increase in women aged 50 to 70, in England, between 2005 and 2025.
	Commissioners are aware of this issue and the need to plan for this in order to prevent a negative impact on the breast screening service.
	Additionally, the Department and the NHS breast screening programme are closely monitoring screening activity to ensure the quality of the service is not compromised.

Car Provision

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what cars have been provided for the senior management in each of the last five years of the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire strategic health authority; and what the  (a) year,  (b) make,  (c) model and  (d) cost per annum was in each case.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected by the Department but can be obtained direct from the strategic health authority concerned.

Cardiac Care (Children)

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to screen all children for cardiac problems; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member tothe reply I gave on 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 192W.

Care Homes

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many lay assessors for care home inspection were employed in each year from 1992 to 2006; and at what cost;
	(2)  what research the National Care Standards Commission undertook on lay assessors; what its conclusions were; and if she will make this report available.

Ivan Lewis: I understand from the Chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), which took over the regulation and inspection of care homes in England from the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) on 1 April 2004, that it does not employ lay assessors for care home inspections.
	The NCSC commissioned a report on lay assessors, published in January 2003, entitled, "Inspecting with Lay Assessors: What Value? What Impact?". Copies have been placed in the Library.
	The report concluded that lay assessors' contribution to regulatory work was valuable, when it was well supported by a comprehensive and appropriately resourced scheme.

Care Homes

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the number of places currently available at care homes in the  (a) public sector,  (b) private sector and  (c) not-for-profit sector.

Ivan Lewis: I understand from the Chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that the number of care homes and places in the public sector, private sector and non-for-profit sector is as shown in the tables.
	
		
			  Number of care homes for England 
			   Independent  Local authority  Voluntary  NHS  Other  Total 
			 Nursing 3,612 15 364 6 52 4,049 
			 Personal Care 9,821 1,259 3,237 177 207 14,701 
			 Non Medical 13 — 1 1 1 16 
			 Total 13,446 1,274 3,602 184 260 18,766 
		
	
	
		
			  Maximum number of registered places for England 
			   Independent  Local authority  Voluntary  NHS  Other  Total 
			 Nursing 160,937 690 12,092 59 1,986 175,764 
			 Personal Care 177,176 32,151 49,879 1,381 3,387 263,974 
			 Non Medical 261 — 16 6 17 300 
			 Total 338,374 32,841 61,987 1,446 5,390 440,038 
			  Note: The figures provided are the latest extract—21 March 2006—from the CSCI registration and inspection database.

Care Homes

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) residential,  (b) nursing and  (c) elderly mentally infirm (i) homes and (ii) places were available in Tamworth constituency in each of the last 10 years, broken down by  (A) local authority,  (B) private sector and  (C) charity and voluntary providers; and what percentage of capacity in each sector was used in each year.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of care and nursing care homes and places was collected by the Department from 1997-2001. The data were collected by health authority and council with social services responsibility areas. This information is shown in tables 1 and 2.
	Table 1 shows the number of care homes and places in Staffordshire for adults age 18 and over, by type of accommodation at 31 March 1997-2001. Table 2 shows the number of care homes and places for older people with mental health problems in Staffordshire, by type of accommodation at 31 March 1997-2001. Data are not available for the percentage of capacity used each year.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of care homes and places in Staffordshire( 1)  by type of accommodation at 31 March 1997-2001 
			  Rounded 
			   Residential homes  Nursing homes( 1, 4) 
			   LA  Voluntary  Private( 2)  Small( 3)  Independent 
			  Homes  
			 1997 20 30 190 90 n/a 
			 1998 40 20 140 70 120 
			 1999 40 20 140 70 130 
			 2000 40 20 140 70 130 
			 2001 30 20 140 60 120 
			  Places  
			 1997 840 270 6,960 230 n/a 
			 1998 1,280 230 4,050 190 5,330 
			 1999 1,250 270 3,190 190 5,370 
			 2000 1,060 270 3,360 180 5,390 
			 2001 1,010 250 3,420 140 5,100 
			 n/a = Data not available (1) Residential data relates to Staffordshire Council with Social Services Responsibilities; nursing data relates to North Staffordshire and South Staffordshire Health Authorities . (2) Includes residential places that are in dual registered homes (3 )Independent registered care homes with less than 4 places (4 )Data for nursing homes includes nursing places in dual registered homes  Source: DH forms RA Part A, RAC5, K036 and RH(N) Part A 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of homes and places for older people with mental health problems( 1)  in Staffordshire by type of accommodation at 31 March 1997-2001 
			   LA  Voluntary  Private( 2)  Smal( 3)  Nursing( 4) 
			  Homes  
			 1997 0 0 2 2 n/a 
			 1998 0 0 3 2 24 
			 1999 0 1 2 3 22 
			 2000 0 0 2 1 22 
			 2001 0 0 2 1 24 
			  Places  
			 1997 0 0 32 6 n/a 
			 1998 0 0 72 6 921 
			 1999 0 4 41 9 887 
			 2000 0 0 41 3 974 
			 2001 0 0 32 1 948 
			 n/a Data not available (1) Data in this table are for primary client group 'older people with mental health problems' (2) Includes residential places that are in dual registered homes (3) Independent registered care homes with less than 4 places (4) Data are for North Staffordshire and South Staffordshire Health Authorities  Source: DH forms RA Part A and RAC5 
		
	
	No data are available for 2002.
	The Commission for Social Care Inspection produces data on the number of care homes and places registered as at 31 March each year, beginning with 2003. There are some minor definitional differences between these data and those for years up to 2001.
	Table 3 shows the number of care homes and places that were registered in Staffordshire LA, of which Tamworth is part, at 31 March for the years 2003 to 2005, for adults aged 18 and over. Table 4 shows the number of care homes and places for older people with mental health problems in Staffordshire LA for the same period. Data are not available for the percentage of capacity used each year.
	Data for Tamworth are not available separately.
	
		
			  Table 3: Number of care homes and places that were registered in Staffordshire at 31 March 2003-05 for adults 18 and over 
			   As at 31 March 2005  As at 31 March 2004  As at 31 March 2003 
			  Establishment category/Type  Number of homes  Maximum number of places  Number of homes  Maximum number of places  Number of homes  Maximum number of places 
			  Nursing   
			 Independent 70 3562 70 3447 75 3583 
			 Other 4 152 4 152 4 152 
			 Voluntary 1 35 1 35 1 35 
			  Personal Care   
			 Independent 137 2495 142 2549 152 2729 
			 Local Authority 34 930 35 958 0 0 
			 Voluntary 13 117 35 958 13 117 
			 Total 259 7291 287 8099 245 6616 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Number of care homes and places for older people with mental health problems in Staffordshire at 31 March 2003-05 
			   As at 31 March 2005  As at 31 March 2004  As at 31 March 2003 
			  Establishment category DE(E) elderly mentally infirm  Number of homes  Maximum number of places  Number of homes  Maximum number of places  Number of homes  Maximum number of places 
			  Nursing   
			 Independent 41 2346 39 2192 39 2165 
			 Other 1 48 1 48 1 48 
			  Personal Care   
			 Independent 63 1611 66 1699 71 1813 
			 Local Authority 31 898 32 926 0 0 
			 Voluntary 2 45 2 45 2 45 
			 Total 138 4948 140 4910 113 4071 
			  Source: CSCI registration and inspection database

Children's Health Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children aged between four and five are registered with an NHS dentist.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of children aged between four and five registered with a national health services dentist is not held centrally.
	The number of children aged between three andfive registered with a NHS dentist in England at30 September 2005, the latest data available, was 1,014,351.
	 Note
	Figures have been provided by the information centre for health and social care. The data source is the business services authority and the figures are based on the numbers of children aged between three and five registered with dentists with open general dental service or personal dental service contracts as at 30 September 2005.

Children's Health Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what funding the Department has made available for 2006-07 to support health promotion for parents and young children; and whether this funding is ring-fenced;
	(2)  what steps are being taken in each primary care trust to provide parents of children aged between three and five with information about  (a) parenting and  (b) promoting health;
	(3)  how many birth to five guides were distributed to parents during the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: It is for primary care trusts to make decisions locally about how much of their resources to make available to support health promotion for parents and young children. There is no ring-fenced funding to support health promotion for children and parents but the child health promotion programme provides a framework to promote the health and well-being of children. We issue "Birth to Five", which gives first time parents advice both on parenting and on the health of young children, to health promotion units so that they can make sure first time parents get a copy. We issued 421,430 copies between May 2005 and April 2006.

Children's Health Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many blood spot tests for hypothyroidism and phenylketonuria were carried out on babies less than a week old during the most recent period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many  (a) antenatal screening and  (b) preliminary assessments of child and family needs were carried out during the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Children's Health Services

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are used to decide which central or local government body has responsibility under the Every Child Matters policy for financing medical and therapeutic support for children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: It is for primary care trusts in partnership with strategic health authorities, local authorities and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services. This process provides the means for addressing local needs within the health community including the provision of health care to children with a statement of special educational needs.

Corporate Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions she has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months.

Ivan Lewis: Paragraph 5.28 of the Ministerial Code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.
	The Secretary of State for Health has not accepted any hospitality since being appointed to her current post.

Correspondence

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Brent, East, dated 23 March, regarding Ms Renae Tilley.

Rosie Winterton: I regret we did not receive the hon. Member's original letter of 23 March 2005. The hon. Member wrote again on 23 December and I replied on 11 January.

Coventry Primary Care Trust

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the financial position of Coventry primary care trust.

Rosie Winterton: The Coventry teaching primary care trust is forecasting a break-even position for 2005-06 at month six.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of deep vein thrombosis have been recorded in  (a) each region in England and  (b) the Tees Valley in each year since 1997.

Caroline Flint: Table 1 shows the counts of primary diagnosis finished consultant episodes for deep vein thrombosis by strategic health authority SHA of residence for the years 1997-98 to 2004-05, the latest year for which data are available.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			  SHA of Residence  1997-98  1998-99  1999-00  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA 1,351 1,422 1,410 1,241 1,297 1,262 1,326 1,161 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA 812 911 905 943 920 965 1,195 737 
			 Essex SHA 801 668 714 625 577 612 497 478 
			 North West London SHA 576 528 581 628 612 527 524 452 
			 North Central London SHA 365 353 274 324 343 287 318 279 
			 North East London SHA 570 603 633 579 582 754 717 783 
			 South East London SHA 1,091 2,142 2,234 2,460 1,316 2,114 2,271 2,092 
			 South West London SHA 376 330 257 299 317 335 530 559 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA 661 728 822 721 785 686 795 739 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley SHA 528 622 738 822 865 959 926 809 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire SHA 432 803 797 914 1,049 1,138 1,122 912 
			 West Yorkshire SHA 756 838 741 662 773 719 1,607 1,588 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire SHA 1,213 1,321 1,361 1,428 1,568 1,437 1,487 1,316 
			 Greater Manchester SHA 1,365 1,646 1,739 2,118 2,009 2,073 2,173 2,266 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside SHA 1,937 2,140 2,064 2,249 2,115 1,839 1,851 1,727 
			 Thames Valley SHA 901 786 759 746 683 699 748 698 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA 1,029 1,137 784 918 1,015 979 1,009 978 
			 Kent and Medway SHA 905 1,190 1,097 845 870 1,016 1,098 880 
			 Surrey and Sussex SHA 1,126 967 818 790 812 832 1,010 1,023 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA 1,238 1,313 2,003 1,899 2,046 1,921 2,184 1,875 
			 South West Peninsula SHA 1,104 1,216 1,264 1,066 1,035 8,03 828 637 
			 Dorset and Somerset SHA 647 733 737 833 805 1,003 617 715 
			 South Yorkshire SHA 904 854 865 939 1,027 1,079 1,008 842 
			 Trent SHA 1,521 1,703 1,667 1,818 1,856 1,709 1,551 1,531 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland SHA 1,134 1,026 1,151 1,112 833 757 754 547 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA 908 881 952 934 886 954 965 890 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country SHA 1,367 1,267 1,306 1,257 1,466 1,693 1,750 1,427 
			 West Midlands South SHA 976 1007 711 741 555 650 711 649 
			 Other Non-English or England not specified 793 302 393 396 424 471 400 428 
		
	
	Table 2 shows the counts of primary diagnosis finished consultant episodes for deep vein thrombosis by primary care trust of residence in the Tees Valley area for the years 1997-98 to 2004-5, the latest year for which data are available.
	
		
			 Table 2 
			  PCT of Residence  1997-98  1998-99  1999-00  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 Derwentside PCT 33 51 49 52 66 163 167 77 
			 Durham and Chester 58 91 172 158 177 160 140 161 
			 Durham Dales PCT 52 63 80 46 62 70 100 66 
			 Easington PCT 25 35 30 53 46 43 40 40 
			 Hartlepool PCT 39 56 39 78 65 70 54 46 
			 Langbaurgh PCT 61 42 52 57 69 108 93 85 
			 Middlesbrough PCT 95 43 68 49 55 70 62 62 
			 North Tees PCT 78 133 138 158 180 151 131 143 
			 Sedgefield PCT 45 70 64 93 78 73 67 71

Dementia

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's strategies are for supporting older people with dementia to live independently at home.

Rosie Winterton: The service development guide 'Everybody's Business' was launched in November 2005 as the next step in the Department's strategy for improving mental health and care services for older people, including those with dementia. It builds on the existing service models outlined in the "National Service Framework for Older People" (2001) and the principles promoted in "Securing Better Mental Health for Older Adults" (July 2005). One of the main aims of the guide is that older adults with mental health problems and their carers have their needs met wherever they are in the system, including where possible being supported and enabled to live independently at home.

Dentistry

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what dental services provision is available to patients to obtain NHS treatment once a dental practice has used its unit quota; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) to commission primary dental care services to reflect the needs of their local populations. The units of dental activity agreed between a PCT and a practice or dentist will generally reflect the courses of treatment that it is reasonable to expect the practice or dentist to provide over the course of a year taking into account the aim of allowing more time for preventative care. It is for practices and dentists to plan how to spread their activity, including any necessary emergency treatment, over the course of the year.

Dentistry

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dental units are given to practices for emergency appointments.

Rosie Winterton: Primary care trusts contract with dentists or dental practices for total units of dental activity. The number of these units then used for urgent treatment is a matter for the dentist or dental practice.

Dentistry

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what will happen to unmet units of dental activity at the end of the contract year.

Rosie Winterton: General dental services (GDS) contracts and personal dental services (PDS) agreements specify the number of units of dental activity (UDAs) to be delivered each year. The GDS or PDS contractor may carry forward up to 4 per cent. of these UDAs into the following year.
	GDS contracts and PDS agreements provide for a mid-year contract review to enable the primary care trust and contractor to deal with instances where activity is below the expected level and agree appropriate action.

Dentistry

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of people in each region with no teeth in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Dentistry

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of eligible dentists in the area covered by  (a) Yorkshire Wolds and Coast primary care trust and  (b) East Yorkshire primary care trust had accepted the new NHS dental contract as at 31 March 2006; how many had declined to accept the new contract; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: In the North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolshire strategic health authority (SHA) area, 211 national health service dental contracts have been signed and 63 contracts have been rejected. The signed contracts account for 93.7 per cent. of NHS dental service in the SHA.
	Data on the number of dentists signing the contract at primary care trust level are not yet available.

Dentistry

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the percentage of children who were  (a) registered with an NHS dentist,  (b) registered with a private dentist and  (c) not registered with any dentist in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Data on the number and percentage of children registered with a national health service dentist in general dental services (GDS) and personal dental services (PDS) are shown in the table.
	Data on the number of children treated or registered with a private dentist are not held centrally.
	Data on the number of children not registered with a dentist are not held centrally.
	
		
			  Number of child patients registered with a NHS dentist as a percentage of the estimated child population as at 31 December in each specified year in England 
			   Percentage 
			 1997 69 
			 1998 62 
			 1999 62 
			 2000 63 
			 2001 63 
			 2002 63 
			 2003 62 
			 2004 63 
			 2005 64 
			  Notes: 1. PDS schemes have varying registration periods. To ensure comparability with corresponding GDS data, PDS registrations for established PDS practices are estimated using proxy registrations, namely the number of patients seen by PDS practices in the past 15 months. 2. Data for 2003 and earlier do not include those PDS schemes that do not have any registrations, for example dental access centres, and is therefore not directly comparable with 2004 and 2005 data. 3. 2005 data have been calculated using Office of National Statistics mid-year population estimates based on the 2001 census, as these are the latest available.  Source: Dental Practice Board

Dentistry

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of dentists in England were  (a) NHS and  (b) private in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: A dentist with a general dental services (GDS) or personal dental services (PDS) contract may provide as much or as little national health service treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed with the primary care trust (PCT). Information concerning the amount of time dedicated to NHS work by individual GDS or PDS dentists is not centrally available.
	Data on the number of dentists working only in private practice are not held centrally.
	The following table, however, contains the numbers of NHS dentists with a GDS or PDS contract in England as at 31 March each year.
	
		
			  General dental services (GDS) and personal dental services (PDS): Number of NHS dentists in England as at 31 March each year 
			   Number of dentists 
			 1997 16,462 
			 1998 16,925 
			 1999 17,471 
			 2000 18,003 
			 2001 18,373 
			 2002 18,724 
			 2003 18,962 
			 2004 19,294 
			 2005 20,088 
			 2006 21,025 
			  Notes: 1. 2006 data includes all notifications of dentists joining or leaving the GDS or PDS, received by the Business Services Authority, up to 3 April 2006. Figures for the numbers of dentists at specified dates may vary depending upon the notification period, for example, data with a later notification period will include more recent notifications of dentists joining or leaving the GDS or PDS. 2. Dentists consist of principals, assistants and trainees. Prison contracts have been excluded.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care  Business Services Authority

Dentistry

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) adults and  (b) children in Taunton constituency were registered with NHS dentists in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The number of adults and children registered with a national health service dentist in Taunton parliamentary constituency since 1997 is shown in the table.
	
		
			   Adults  Children 
			 1997 55,037 19,291 
			 1998 49,067 17,931 
			 1999 46,427 17,619 
			 2000 48,113 18,262 
			 2001 51,370 18,512 
			 2002 53,891 19,022 
			 2003 55,414 19,301 
			 2004 58,263 19,815 
			 2005 57,271 19,124

Dentistry

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists are accepting new NHS patients in each London borough in the latest period for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Dentistry

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists were registered in North West Cambridgeshire in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The table shows the numbersof dentists in the North-West Cambridgeshire parliamentary constituency each year since 1997 to31 December 2005.
	
		
			  General dental services (CDS) and personal dental services (PDS) 
			   North West Cambridgeshire 
			 1997 23 
			 1998 23 
			 1999 23 
			 2000 29 
			 2001 27 
			 2002 27 
			 2003 26 
			 2004 30 
			 2005 34 
			  Notes: 1. Data includes all notifications of dentists joining or leaving the GDS or PDS, received by the Business Services Authority, up to 23 March 2006. Figures for the numbers of dentists at specified dates may vary depending upon the notification period, for example data with a later notification period will include more recent notifications of dentists joining or leaving the GDS or PDS. 2. Dentists consist of principals, assistants and trainees. Prison contracts have been excluded from the data. 3. The postcode of the dental practice was used to allocate dentists to specific geographic areas. Constituency areas have been defined using the Office for National Statistics all fields postcode directory. 4. A dentist with a GDS or PDS contract may provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed with the PCT. Information concerning the amount of time dedicated to NHS work by individual dentists is not centrally available. 5. Data on dentists that work only in private practice are not held centrally.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Business Services Authority

Dentistry

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists were registered in Milton Keynes in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  General Dental Services (GDS) and Personal Dental Services (PDS): Number of dentists in Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust (PCT) as at 31 December each year. 
			   Milton Keynes PCT 
			 1997 76 
			 1998 75 
			 1999 79 
			 2000 96 
			 2001 100 
			 2002 105 
			 2003 102 
			 2004 105 
			 2005 119 
			  Notes: 1. Data includes all notifications of dentists joining or leaving the GDS or PDS, received by the Business Services Authority up to 23 March 2006. Figures for the numbers of dentists at specified dates may vary depending upon the notification period, for example data with a later notification period will include more recent notifications of dentists joining or leaving the GDS or PDS. 2. Dentists consist of principals, assistants and trainees. Prison contracts have been excluded from the data. 3. The postcode of the dental practice was used to allocate dentists to specific geographic areas. PCT areas have been defined using the Office for National Statistics all fields postcode directory. 4. A dentist with a GDS or PDS contract may provide as little or as much national health service treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed with the PCT. Information concerning the amount of time dedicated to NHS work by individual dentists is not centrally available. 5. Data on dentists that work only in private practice are not held centrally.  Sources: Business Services Authority The Information Centre for health and social care

E111 Forms

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures have been taken to publicise the discontinuation of E111 forms; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: A major publicity campaign ran from October 2004 to March 2006 to publicise both the withdrawal of E111s and the introduction of the european health insurance card. Activities included the Department's press releases, information leaflets distributed through the travel trade pharmacies and general practitioner surgeries and to 17.5 million households through inserts in local free newspapers, national and local press advertising, a public information film, radio interviews and advertising on photo booths and at Heathrow airport.

Electroconvulsive Therapy

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances electroconvulsive therapy is administered; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Mental Health Act 1983 sets out the circumstances in which people with a mental disorder who are being treated compulsorily under that act may receive electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The Act allows ECT to be given to patients who are under compulsory powers when a patient with capacity consents or if the patient's doctor prescribes it and a second opinion appointed doctor agrees to it. People can also receive ECT voluntarily. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued guidance on the use of ECT in 2003. The guidance is available on NICE's website at www.nice.org.uk.

European Health Insurance Card

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 389W, on the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), what percentage of EHIC forms have been processed within 21 days.

Rosie Winterton: Over 99 per cent. of applications have been dispatched within 21 days of receipt. Further information from the customer was needed in the small percentage of cases where the target was not met.

Fibromyalgia

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidence of fibromyalgia in England has been in each of the last five years; what treatments are available on the NHS; and what research she has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on fibromyalgia.

Ivan Lewis: Data on the incidence of fibromyalgia are not collected. However, estimates suggest there are around 14,700 new cases in the United Kingdom each year.
	People living with fibromyalgia have access to the full range of NHS treatments for this condition. A variety of painkillers are available to provide relief from pain, drugs can also be prescribed to help relieve the associated symptoms of tiredness, anxiety and muscle spasms.
	The main agency through which the Government support medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body, which receives its grant in aid from the Office of Science and Innovation, part of the Department of Trade and Industry. The MRC is not currently funding research specifically into fibromyalgia although some basic research being undertaken would have relevance to developing a greater understanding of this condition.

Hearing Aids

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to reduce waiting times for hearing aids; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Several initiatives were introduced through the modernising hearing aid services programme to increase capacity to deliver audiology services in England. These include the national framework contract (public private partnership) to bring in additional independent sector capacity, the development of a new degree to help to address the shortage of audiologists and the introduction of hearing direct which provides follow-up care and advice for some hearing aid users.

Influenza Vaccinations

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of those aged over 65 years in the Peterborough constituency are expected to receive influenza vaccinations by the end of winter 2005-06.

Rosie Winterton: Greater Peterborough Primary Care Partnership reports that 77.5 per cent. of people aged over 65 in the North Peterborough Primary Care Trust (PCT) area and 77.4 per cent. in the South Peterborough PCT area have received an influenza vaccination this winter.

Lupus

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of lupus there have been in Norfolk in the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected by the Department.

Mental Health

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the expenditure of primary care trusts and strategic health authorities was on mental health in each of the last five years; what percentage of their total expenditure in each year each figure represents; and what assessment she has made of the trends in the proportion of the NHS budget spent on mental health services since 1992.

Rosie Winterton: Information on expenditure by the national health service on mental health services in each year since 1992-93 is shown in the table. The table also shows the proportion of mental health expenditure as part of the hospital and community mental health services (HCHS) budget. The proportion of mental health spend has increased from 11.47 per cent. of the total HCHS budget in 1992-93 to 13.34 per cent. in 2003-04.
	The data exclude social care spend on people with mental health problems, and expenditure concerning people treated in primary care for whom a specific diagnosis has not been reached. The figures therefore underestimate the total mental health expenditure.
	In order to gain a more comprehensive picture of mental health spend, the Department commissioned national surveys of investment in mental health services in each year since 2001. The reports of four surveys covering the period from 2000-01 to 2004-05 are available from the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk. The survey covering the financial year 2005-06 will be placed on the Department's website shortly.
	
		
			  Gross Expenditure: mental health elements (volume terms) 
			   1992-93  1993-94  1994-95  1995-96  1996-97  1997-98 
			 Mental illness day patient 284 298 307 334 380 393 
			 Mental health in-patient 2,626 2,456 2,315 2,264 2,270 2,274 
			 Mental health out-patient 224 247 277 300 395 405 
			 Community mental illness nursing 378 461 449 503 605 676 
			 Total mental health 3,512 3,462 3,348 3,401 3,651 3,747 
			 Total hospital and community health services 30,630 32,461 31,629 32,239 30,196 30,869 
			 Mental health proportion (Percentage) 11.47 10.67 10.59 10.55 12.09 12.14 
		
	
	
		
			   1998-99  1999-00  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04 
			 Mental illness day patient 396 391 387 346 361 316 
			 Mental health in-patient 2,267 2,437 2,635 2,661 2,829 2,857 
			 Mental health out-patient 416 441 470 533 689 882 
			 Community mental illness nursing 722 799 886 882 958 1,033 
			 Total mental health 3,801 4,067 4,379 4,423 4,837 5,088 
			 Total hospital and community health services 31,767 32,950 34,444 34,817 36,911 38,151 
			 Mental health proportion (Percentage) 11.97 12.34 12.71 12.70 13.11 13.34

Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she plans to publish her revised proposals for a Mental Health Bill.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 29 March 2006,  Official Report, column 1066W.

Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many clinical psychologists are employed by hospital trusts in West Sussex, expressed as  (a) headcount and  (b) full-time equivalent posts.

Caroline Flint: The number of clinical psychologists employed by hospital trusts in West Sussex expressed as headcount and full-time equivalent posts is shown in the table, which also provides data on the number clinical psychologists across the Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified clinical psychologists in the Surrey and Sussex Health Authority area by organisation as at 30 September 2005 
			Headcount  Full-time equivalent 
			  Surrey and Sussex SHA Q19 356 254 
			 Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust RTK 4 3 
			 East Sussex County NHS Trust RXD 62 48 
			 Eastbourne Downs PCT 5LR 4 3 
			 Guildford And Waverley PCT 5L5 1 1 
			 Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RPC 1 1 
			 South Downs Health NHS Trust RDR 41 28 
			 Surrey And Borders Partnership NHS Trust RXX 105 63 
			 Surrey Heath And Woking PCT 5L7 5 2 
			 West Sussex Health And Social Care NHS Trust RW8 130 103 
			 Western Sussex PCT 5L9 3 3 
			  Note: Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census 2005

Mixed-sex Wards

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mixed-sex wards there are in each hospital in England.

Rosie Winterton: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Between 1998 and 2005, the provision of single-sex accommodation was measured as compliance at national health service trust-level with three objectives set by the Department. These objectives have been superseded by the core national standards presented in Standards for Better Health.
	The core standards require that:
	Staff treat patients, their relatives and carers with dignity and respect (C13) and Health care services are provided in environments which promote effective care and optimize health outcomes by being ... Supportive of patient privacy and confidentiality (C20b).
	The Healthcare Commission will measure compliance with these standards. Previously compliance was measured annually at trust level. The results of the most recent compliance survey (December 2004) show that:
	99 per cent. of NHS trusts provided single-sex sleeping accommodation for planned admissions and had robust operational policies in place to protect patients' privacy and dignity;
	99 per cent. of NHS trusts met the additional criteria set to ensure the safety of patients who are mentally ill; and
	97 per cent. of NHS trusts provided properly segregated bathroom and toilet facilities for men and women.
	The small number of hospitals who did not achieve these objectives are building new hospitals.
	The 2004 position of each NHS trust was published on 26 May 2005 and is available on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk and is available in the Library.

National Service Framework for Children and Young People and Maternity Services Framework

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on Standard One of the National Service Framework for Children and Young People and Maternity Services in England.

Ivan Lewis: The national service framework for children, young people and maternity services sets out a 10-year strategy to stimulate long-term and sustained improvement in children's health and well-being by setting standards for the care of children, young people and maternity services.
	Standard one of the framework is concerned with the promotion of health and well-being, identifying needs and intervening early. It recognises the vital role that parents and professionals play in creating the circumstances in which children and young people can grow up to be healthy.

Neonatal Care

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  on how many occasions babies needing admission to a neonatal intensive care unit were unable to be placed in the nearest neonatal intensive care unit because the unit was full in the last month for which figures are available; what assessment she has made of the implications of the level of provision of beds in special care baby units on the ability of trusts to move babies out of neonatal intensive care units; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many  (a) neo-natal intensive care beds and  (b) special care baby unit beds there were in the NHS in (i) 1995 and (ii) 2005; and in which hospitals those beds were provided in each year.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested on the number of occasions babies needing admission to a neonatal intensive care unit were unable to be placed in the nearest unit because it was full is not collected centrally. It is for local neonatal networks and hospital trusts to determine the appropriate number of special care baby cots to ensure there is provision to enable those babies no longer requiring neonatal intensive care to be moved down. Strategic health authority areas will increase or decrease cots to reflect demand. Information on the number of neonatal intensive care cots in 2004-05 by national health service trust has been placed in the Library. Information on the number of neonatal intensive care cots in 1995 and the number of special care baby cots is not collected centrally.

Obesity

Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent research her Department has examined on the management of obesity in adolescents through the use of beverages containing calorie-free sweeteners; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will make it her policy to encourage drink manufacturers further to promote the use of calorie-free sweeteners in soft drinks marketed to children.

Caroline Flint: The Department has not examined any specific research on the impact on obesity of using beverages containing calorie-free sweeteners. Research has been carried out in the United States of America, and published in the  Official Journal of American Academy of Paediatrics, on the effects of decreasing consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks on body weight in adolescents. The available evidence on the relationship between sugar and body weight is not clear and more evidence of an association is required before definitive conclusions can be drawn.
	Calorie-free soft drinks contribute to consumer choice and current consumption levels of artificial sweeteners are within safe limits. The Government's healthy eating advice remains that consumers should drink plenty of water, or other fluids, daily, and to drink fewer sugary soft and fizzy drinks.
	The Food Standards Agency and Department have published guidance for schools on practical ways of developing approaches that provide healthy drinks and snacks. This encourages schools to provide, in addition to drinking and bottled water, other drinks which provide a nutritional benefit to pupils, such as fruit juices and milk-based drinks.

Osteoporosis

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to extend the availability of osteoporosis bone density scanning; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: In 2005-06, 3 million was allocated to the national health service for increasing capacity for bone density scanning. A further 17 million will be made available over two years to build on this capacity.

Osteoporosis

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has for the management of osteoporosis services after the amalgamation of primary care trusts and strategic health authorities in the Portsmouth area.

Caroline Flint: It is for primary care trusts in partnership with strategic health authorities, local authorities and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services.

Osteoporosis

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has for a fully integrated falls and osteoporosis service in the Portsmouth area.

Caroline Flint: It is for primary care trusts (PCT) in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services
	I understand that Portsmouth City PCT, in partnership with social services, the ambulance service and other key stakeholders has been developing an integrated falls prevention and bone health (osteoporosis) service since the publication of the national service framework for older people in 2001 and it has achieved all of the milestones.

Osteoporosis

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) men and  (b) women in the primary care trust areas covering Portsmouth are estimated to have osteoporosis.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not held centrally.

Ovarian Cancer

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ask the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence to issue guidance on the use of intraperitoneal chemotherapy for patients with stage three ovarian cancer; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact on survival rates in England of such treatment.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has no plans to ask the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to issue guidance on the use of intraperitoneal chemotherapy for patients with stage three ovarian cancer or assess the potential impact on survival rates in England of such treatment. However, in March 2005, NICE issued interventional procedures guidance on complete cytoreduction and heated intraperitoneal intraoperative chemotherapy (Sugarbaker technique) for peritoneal carcinomatosis.
	Peritoneal metastases commonly result from the regional spread of gastrointestinal, gynaecological and other cancers. NICE recommended that current evidence on the safety and efficacy of this technique for peritoneal carcinomatosis
	does not appear adequate for it to be used without special arrangements for consent and for audit or research.
	More details on this guidance can be found on NICE's website at: www.nice.org.uk
	Members of the public and professionals are free to make suggestions on possible topics for interventional procedure guidance via NICE's website.

Personal Health Guides

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many personal health guides have been produced in each primary care trust area in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available; and at what cost.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not held centrally.

Psychiatric Secure Accommodation

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women found guilty under the Mental Health and Criminal Justice Acts have been assessed to need psychiatric secure accommodation but have been placed in prison instead because of lack of such accommodation in each of the last 10 years.

Rosie Winterton: Sentencing is a matter for the courts and account should be taken of a woman's mental health needs at the time sentencing occurs.
	Information is not collected on how many women have been convicted of a criminal offence, assessed to need psychiatric secure accommodation, but sent to prison instead because there was no secure hospital bed available for them.
	It would not be possible to identify whether the reason was absence of a suitable bed or the judge rejected the recommendation and chose imprisonment instead, if information was collected on these cases.
	Under the Criminal Procedure (Insanity) Act 1964, people who are not fit to plead for reasons of severe mental ill health are never sent to prison.

Pulmonary Hypertension

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to ensure that all those diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension receive adequate treatment without waiting for the treatment to be approved by the local primary care trust.

Rosie Winterton: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently appraising treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension and is expecting to issue guidance to the national health service in May 2008. The Department has made it clear that funding for licensed treatments should not be withheld because guidance from NICE is unavailable. In these circumstances, we expect primary care trusts to take full account of available evidence when reaching funding decisions.
	Lead clinicians from pulmonary hypertension centres will be meeting to develop a national protocol on pulmonary hypertension therapy.

Queen Mary's Hospital Trust, Sidcup

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the operational impact of the budget adjustments levied by her Department on Queen Mary's Hospital Trust, Sidcup, in respect of budgetary overspend.

Caroline Flint: The Department has not made any budget adjustments to Queen Mary's Hospital National Health Service Trust in respect of any overspend the trust is experiencing.

Queen Mary's Hospital Trust, Sidcup

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been paid by her Department to Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup  (a) in each of the last three financial years and  (b) for 2006-07; and what that sum would be if the hospital had foundation hospital status.

Caroline Flint: National health service trusts do not normally receive funding from the Department, but receive income for the provision of services from commissioners, principally from primary care trusts (PCTs).
	Figures shown in the table are for the Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust and are total income including all income from activities and all other operating income for each year 2002-03 to 2004-05. 2004-05 is the latest year for which data is available. The Department has no figures relating to estimates for 2005-06 or 2006-07.
	
		
			  Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust - total income 
			   000 
			 2002-03 77,459 
			 2003-04 86,540 
			 2004-05 93,762 
			  Source: Audited summarisation schedules of the Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust. 
		
	
	NHS foundation trust status does not in itself change how much PCTs wish to allocate trusts for specific services.

Residential Care Funding (Stoke-on-Trent)

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much Stoke-on-Trent Social Services department received from Government for the provision of residential care for  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07.

Ivan Lewis: The Department does not hold this information nationally or for individual local authorities. Council funding for adult social services is derived from a number of sources: a share of overall formula grant allocated by the Department for Communities and Local Government, specific grants distributed by the Department, revenue from council tax, income from fees and charges and local decision making.
	As most of the Government funding for adult social care is allocated without conditions, it is not possible to identify the proportion of that funding that may be attributable to residential care. Local authorities have a significant degree of flexibility to manage and direct their resources in accordance with local priorities and the needs of the communities to which they are accountable.

Sandwell and West Birmingham Acute Trust

Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the job titles and the salaries of employees of Sandwell and West Birmingham Acute Trust earning more than 90,000 per annum.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Title  Salary () 
			 Chief executive 136,740 
			 Director of finance 117,322 
			 Health care purchasing consortium: chief executive 122,537 
			 Health care purchasing consortium: director 93,526 
			 23 consultants (surgeons, physicians and others) 94,000 
			  Notes: The figures shown are based on basic salary and do not include allowances. Data includes all employees of the trust paid more than 90,000 per annum including consultant staff and senior managers of other organisations hosted by the trust on behalf of the wider health economy and therefore not part of the trust's management structure.

Sandwell and West Birmingham Acute Trust

Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the estimated costs are of the Sandwell and West Birmingham Acute NHS Trust's 2010 Project for financial years  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2007-08 and (c) 2008-09, broken down by staffing and other costs;
	(2)  what the estimated level of public expenditure is for  (a) Sandwell and West Birmingham Acute and  (b) Sandwell Primary Care NHS Trusts' 2010 project over the next three financial years;

Rosie Winterton: The NHS Bank has allocated a total of 10 million to support the costs of taking the Towards 2010 programme up to the preparation of a full business case in 2008-09. Of this sum, 2 million was drawn down during 2005-06. The estimated draw down of the remaining funding is shown in the table.
	
		
			  000 
			   Pay  Non-pay  Total 
			 2006-07 440 1,060 1,500 
			 2007-08 600 2,400 3,000 
			 2008-09 700 2,800 3,500 
		
	
	The bulk of the non-pay expenditure will be required to meet the cost of securing specialist advice and expertise in areas such as town planning, building design, private finance initiative procurement and financial modelling.

Self-harm

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role her Department has played in the six month trial at St. George's psychiatric hospital in Stafford into ways of treating people who self-harm; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The pilot being undertaken by South Staffordshire Healthcare National Health Service Trust is part of a joint Department and National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) exercise, which started in January 2006 and is expected to run until autumn.
	The Department and NIMHE are jointly exploring the management of self-injury, focusing on adult service users, predominantly female, who self-injure as a coping mechanism, or survival strategy. The Department/NIMHE exercise will ascertain the level of local and regional support and the evidence base for adopting a harm-reduction approach. In addition, the exercise will judge the appropriateness, with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, of developing guidelines and training to facilitate a harm minimisation approach amongst service providers.

Sexual Health

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds were allocated to the  (a) Greater Derbyshire and  (b) Central Derby Primary Care Trust for the treatment of sexually transmitted infections in each financial year between 2000-01 and 2005-06.

Caroline Flint: Primary care trusts (PCTs) commission services with the funds allocated to them to meet the needs of their populations. This includes the commissioning of sexual health services. Funding for PCTs to meet these commitments such as those in the White Paper Choosing Health formed part of their overall allocations.

University Hospital of North Staffordshire

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated loss of income to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire is from work contracted out to independent sector treatment and diagnostic centres in the year ending 31 March 2006.

Rosie Winterton: This is a matter for the local health community.

Venous Thromboembolism

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the expert panel on venous thromboembolism to report its findings on implementing the Health Select Committee's recommendations on the prevention of venous thromboembolism in hospitalised patients.

Caroline Flint: In their terms of reference the independent expert working group on the prevention of venous thromboembolism in hospitalised patients were asked to submit their report and recommendations to the Chief Medical Officer by July 2006 and earlier if possible.

Waiting Lists/Times

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was between referral and treatment for NHS cancer patients in  (a) England,  (b) Somerset and  (c) Taunton constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: Average waiting times for the treatment of cancer patients are not collected centrally. A cancer waiting times standard of a maximum wait of 31 days from diagnosis to first cancer treatment was introduced for all cancer patients from December 2005. Data showing progress towards this standard for the period October to December 2005 show that in England 96.8 per cent. of all cancer patients were treated within this standard and 98.9 per cent. in the Taunton and Somerset National Health Service Trust.